A Moment of Madness
by didumissmeofcourseudid
Summary: If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glit
1. Naked

**"A Moment of Madness" copyright didumissmeofcourseudid; November 8th 2008**

**This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring characters copyrighted and trademarked by Disney Enterprises Inc. It is based upon **_**High School Musical, **_**copyright 2006 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved; and **_**High School Musical 2, **_**copyright 2007 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved. The author is not connected with nor is this work authorised by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., or any other motion picture studios. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorised copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that could only be Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters mentioned above, I just have them on secondment. Thanks to my hero, the wonderful John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls for the loan of the lyrics to 'Naked'.

**A/N: **This idea has been buzzing around my head like an irritating fly for a couple of weeks now and I just need to let rip with it. Happy Holidays to one and all.

**

* * *

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Naked

"_How do I get myself into these situations? Am I that gullible?" _Gabriella thought for the umpteenth time from the confines of the small space she found herself in. The answers were Sharpay and yes. Through all her years on this earth the only times she landed in embarrassing or life threatening situations were when she was around Sharpay. She was the nucleus, the pivotal point of her downfall. Things never happened to Sharpay, they just happened around her, with Gabriella usually catching the brunt of the fallout.

The oxygen around her was becoming stale, the temperature growing hotter by the minute as her body hyperventilated with nerves, throwing heat around the Styrofoam enclosure. Fortunately, her attire or lack of, helped to keep her body cool despite the beads of sweat forming in her cleavage, behind her knees and under her arms to say nothing of the noticeable drip that was sliding down her spine. She only hoped her make-up and coiffed hair was holding up just as well in the restricted space; she knew her legs weren't, scrunched up like she was, sat on a purpose built shelf that would rise shortly, catapulting her out of her safe haven but there was nothing she could do about that.

"_Why, oh why, couldn't Sharpay do this again? Oh yeah, she was too tall or so she claimed, unlike Annabel who would normally cover this type of venue except she was in hospital having her grumbling appendix removed. Damn it! Why me?" _Thoughts continued to swirl around Gabriella's head. She was going to kill Sharpay when this was over. She knew it wasn't what she did.

The deal, when they started this venture, was for Sharpay to front the operation, run the day to day end of the business, pitch the sales, source the bookings, come up with the scenarios and deal with the employees; Gabriella would remain in the background, acting as a silent partner almost, taking care of the bills, the advertising and all the financial aspects; their roles had been clearly defined by Sharpay from the outset when she started her cajoling tactics and Gabriella, pressured and sweet-talked, buttered up and pestered had finally succumbed to Sharpay's seemingly hair-brained idea and Sharpay had been only too happy to finally get the venture off the ground; thus _**Sharella**_ was born.

It had all come about when Sharpay had been to a hen night over two years ago and she'd come back ranting about the ineptitude of the kiss-O-gram they'd paid good money for. She'd come up with the idea of providing a similar service only better, more professional, glossier and glitzier. For once she'd done the leg work, investigating the ones already established and finding them all wanting. She'd looked into the costs involved, the feasibility of the operation and had finally presented her business idea to her father who had been impressed enough with his daughter's in-depth analysis, and surprisingly for once backed her madcap scheme on the proviso that she took on board a partner with some business acumen. Armed with the promised funding she had gone to Gabriella with a sound proposition, all she needed was a partner, someone to look after the books she said, and she'd do the rest. Gabriella had grudgingly taken the bait. It sounded easy, something that she could always fall back on if her contract with her publisher wasn't renewed or she had, god forbid, a writer's block for an indefinite period, and it did give her a much needed second income, a safety net if you like if the unthinkable did happen. Surprisingly, for Gabriella, the business had filled a niche, offering a quality service as their discerning clientèle soon discovered; recommendations by word of mouth were always a compliment and saved them a fortune on advertising.

Gabriella was a published author albeit children's books; still it paid the bills, kept the wolf from the door and allowed her the freedom to choose her own hours and work pattern, giving her precious time to spend at home, time that was sorely needed. Consequently she only came into the office twice a week, once for the weekly meeting when they discussed upcoming events and staffing requirements and once to collect the bills before she escaped, back to her wooden framed house overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the north side of Santa Monica. Sharpay knew her time was limited, time she could ill-afford to waste by being called in to cover emergencies like this but she'd played on her kind nature as always, pushing the right buttons and Gabriella had buckled under her whining and cajoling.

So that was how and why she was in this hell of a predicament now, about to be flung to the wolves from center stage? It had been years since she had stood up in public and sang. She'd hated it then and she hated it now. She did not like being the center of attention with all eyes on her. It just wasn't her. It made her feel uncomfortable, naked even. _"Ha! As if I don't feel that already," _she thought wryly looking down her ample cleavage, that was more out than in, to the crystal encrusted red bra top she'd poured her body into only twenty minutes ago. She and Annabel may be the same size in height but there the resemblance ended. Trying to fit her C cup into a B had been a tight squeeze and she'd be glad when she could free herself from the constriction. Now she knew how her descendants must have felt in their whalebone corsets.

She felt the dais she was perched on start to move and she let out a shaky breath, part of her was glad to be on the move knowing that it would soon be over, part of her shrank from the task she was about to do. Thank god it was a private function with only invited guests present; At least it was a safe bet that none of her neighbours or acquaintances would be there to see the spectacle. The murmur of voices laughing and talking, clinks of glass upon glass, muffled to Gabriella from her hiding place grew louder, warning her of her impending mission and her heart thudded loudly in her chest. The revelry stopped abruptly as a drum boomed out, scaring the shit out of Gabriella who visibly trembled. Her suddenly moist hand clenched tightly around the microphone as her shaking forefinger flicked the switch. Sharpay must have also pressed the button to start the contraption as the shelf beneath her shuddered into life and she took a deep breath as it began to rise, her arm pushed back the flap at the top, allowing her to burst through the opening and she welcomed the cooler if not fresher air.

The lights blinded her to the audience but the cheers and wolf whistles at her entrance let her know they were there, watching and waiting. The background music kicked in and her voice shook as she started singing the birthday ditty she herself had penned in a rash moment eighteen months ago but it quickly grew in strength by the fifth word, her sweet melodic tones filled the club as she lost herself in the song staring blindly at the back wall of the club, not daring to look downwards to the crowd below. She finished her ditty to follow in with the traditional song but her brain blanked for a moment as she tried to remember the name of the person she was supposed to be singing to.

"_Oh hell! Come on Gabs, you can do it. Think woman, you did the paperwork." _A small hesitation, barely discernible to the waiting crowd, brought a gasp from the side of the stage where Sharpay stood watching nervously, a frown marring her features when Gabriella flicked a nervous glance her way before facing the lights again, a bright professional smile pinned to her face as she broke into the traditional song to mask her error, giving her an extra precious second or two before a flash of inspiration hit her and she finished the song with an exuberant flourish. "Happy Birthday, Coach Norton, Happy Birthday to you," spilled from her lips as she threw her arms wide in relief and the unthinkable happened; her bra top pinged off and flew into the audience.

She felt like she was having an out of body experience, watching from above as everything moved in a freeze frame mode like a movie, her smile slipped, her horrified eyes widened in dismay, a deep blush infused her cheeks as self-preservation finally kicked in and she wrapped her arms around her heaving breasts. It had only been a matter of seconds but it felt like a lifetime to her. She wanted to die.

A movement from the front row drew her panic stricken gaze as a tall, broad shouldered man in a charcoal suit stood up, the errant top dangling from his fingers, just as the place erupted into claps, wolf whistles with various lewd and ribald comments flung at her. The sounds dissipated as her eyes locked with glacial blue orbs that seemed to look into her very soul and she felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a fast moving car. "_It couldn't be" _flashed through her mind. She couldn't move, couldn't think; time suspended for what seemed like hours but only lasted for a few moments. Her eyes clouded with worry as the man allowed his eyes to slide deliberately down her body, taking in every curve and niche before slowly gliding up again. She felt violated as they lingered on her lips before returning to stare into her deep brown eyes; a sliver of fear ran down her spine at their promised retribution and her breath caught in her throat. He was letting her know, in no uncertain terms, he hadn't finished with her, that there would be a reckoning.

Letting out a cry of fright, she dropped the microphone, sprang from the giant cake and ran.

_**You're naked inside your fear**_

_**You can't take back all those years**_

**A/N: Sorry this one is a smidgen short but the next one is longer, I promise.**


	2. Name

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters mentioned above, I just have them on secondment. Again I only have the lyrics on loan from the fantastic Goo Goo Dolls.

**A/N:**Wow! Thanks for the amazing reviews I received for the first chapter. They are much appreciated and made me laugh. Many thanks to Kristen for reviewing as usual. Your thoughts are always welcome. Enjoy!

* * *

Letting out a gasp of fright, she dropped the microphone, sprang from the giant cake and ran.

**Name**

A shadow detached itself from the building, the street lamps exaggerating the height of his already tall frame, his narrow-eyed gaze watched the tail lights of the Porsche fade into the distance until they disappeared from view.

"God dammit!" spilled from his lips.

"Hey dude, what are you doing out here?" asked a puzzled voice from the doorway. The guy turned towards the silhouette and sighed.

"She was here and I let her slip through my fingers," he replied harshly.

"What!...Who?....Oh!" came the garbled response as realisation hit him, "I never saw her."

"Oh you did, Man, trust me you did, she was the star attraction," ground out the watcher.

"No freakin' way! You have got to be kidding me...that was her? Wow! She...she's...well...stunning," gasped his friend.

"That she is," agreed the watcher wistfully.

"Did she see you? Do you think she recognised you?" questioned the voice.

"Oh she saw me right enough and yeah, I think she did," the watcher responded grimly. "She can run, I'll give her that," he murmured admiration for her lacing his voice, "but so can I, only faster and I have the stamina for the long haul." His friend chuckled.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Find her," he replied with determination.

* * *

"You do know you'll have to speak to me at some point," taunted the tall willowy blonde from the doorway. Gabriella jerked her head round and glared at her so called best friend. Sharpay smirked, taking the glare as an invitation and sauntered into the office. The silence grew and Sharpay sighed.

"Look Gabs, I am really, really sorry and I promise I will never, ever ask you to step in again," she continued into the deathly silence hoping the apology and promise would soften her friend's demeanour.

It had been five days since the incident, five days of silence and it was driving Sharpay crazy. She knew Gabriella could be stubborn but hell! It wasn't her fault the damn bra had broken. Aside from an abrupt "Get me out of here" and a screamed "Now!" when Sharpay had hesitated, nothing else had passed Gabriella's lips. She'd sat huddled in the passenger seat, holding her bare chest, her purse the only item she'd grabbed in her panic, clutched between her knees. Sharpay had thrown her worried looks and tried to talk to her on the ride to her place but the only response she'd got were silent tears streaming down Gabriella's face, shudders racking her body, the odd hiccup the only sound to break the uncomfortable silence and Sharpay was at a loss, she didn't know what to do or what to say to ease her friend's distress. Gabriella was the strong one, had always been the strong one, the one that held it all together and she'd only seen her fall apart like this once before but that had been seven years ago. Not a time Sharpay wanted to recall or relive at all. She'd pulled up outside her house and Gabriella had quickly exited the car.

"Don't worry, Gabs, I'll get the rest of your stuff tomorrow when I send the guys in to dismantle the cake," promised Sharpay. All she'd got in return was a stiff nod and it worried Sharpay as she watched her dejectedly walk up her path, refusing to put the car into gear until Gabriella was safely inside.

Sharpay thought she'd buried herself away in her home, refusing to pick up the phone, respond to any text messages or answer her doorbell; walking around the wrap around deck hadn't helped Sharpay at all in the following few days when she called as all blinds had been tightly closed and the back door locked; when in actual fact Gabriella hadn't even been there. She'd flung a few clothes in a suitcase that night, waited until first light and high tailed it out of town, down to her mother's in San Diego; to safety.

Fear had driven her away. The humiliation she could have coped with, faced down even but the silent threat from those never to be forgotten ice blue eyes had been clearly evident. She'd locked that moment of madness into a compartment at the back of her mind but it had always been there, silently ticking away like a time bomb, ready to explode in her face but please god, not yet, she wasn't strong enough. It was only when her mother started giving her pointed looks and enquiring when she would be going home that Gabriella realised she couldn't run for ever. She had to face whatever was waiting for her. With any luck it might have gone away, he might have gone away, hopefully he was only visiting from out of state. She could do with some good luck right now.

This was the first day she had ventured back into the office and Sharpay breathed a thankful sigh. It was a step in the right direction, wasn't it?

"Damn right you won't," muttered Gabriella. Sharpay grinned. It was a start.

"You should be proud, we got a bonus from that gig," informed Sharpay tactlessly. Gabriella grimaced and sent her a baleful glance.

"Proud, PROUD!" Gabriella screamed out the second. "Fuck you, Sharpay. You weren't the one on full show humiliated to kingdom come. I wanted the freakin' floor to open up and swallow me whole. I have never been more mortified in my life and you can bet your sweet ass it ain't ever going to be repeated."

"Okay, I get the message, Gabs," said Sharpay softly trying to mollify her. "Pity though, I've had plenty of phone calls since. We could have made a fortune from this," Gabriella looked at her as if she had a screw loose, "or maybe not," added Sharpay regretfully.

"Definitely not," snapped Gabriella. "We are not going down that road, Shar. We are a professional and highly respected fun service provider not some sleazy titillation outfit. For god's sake, think woman, we'd lose a large percentage of our most prestigious clients if we did that."

"I know, I just thought..." Sharpay started to say.

"Well don't. Every time you think, it gets **me** into trouble," snarled Gabriella.

Gabriella had always prided herself on her cautious approach to life; she was the sensible one, the level-headed, intelligent, logical one of the duo, the one who weighed up the pros and cons before deciding on a course of action. The one with her nose in a book, studious, polite, the kindly one who never uttered a malicious word against anyone, the one who people went to for words of advice or encouragement. She was the perfect foil for the exuberant, often brash, always outspoken, flighty Sharpay. How they ended up as best friends was a complete mystery to their families and friends alike. She'd reined Sharpay in from haphazard escapades countless times but sometimes, just sometimes the sensible light malfunctioned in Gabriella's brain and that was when madness and mayhem broke out.

Like the time in high school when a water balloon fight broke out. Gabriella had been an innocent bystander, watching from afar, smirking at the childish antics of her fellow students, laughing out loud when Sharpay finally hit something, unfortunately her target had been Jeremy Moss, captain of the baseball team and she'd shrieked in delight, grabbed hold of Gabriella and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement. Her victory had been short lived, however, when they had both been thoroughly trounced with a barrage of balloons from three of his team mates. Soaked to the skin, Gabriella's thirst for revenge outweighed the sensible voice in her head and she'd fired back one of Sharpay's supply. Unfortunately for her, her target, Jake Armitage, had ducked and the missile had hit Mr Capper, the assistant head master, square in the chest. It was the first and only detention Gabriella had received throughout her whole school life.

"Anyway, Annabel will be back in work tomorrow, so you have no need to worry." Sharpay's voice broke into her reverie and Gabriella snapped back to the present.

"Good, glad to hear it," replied Gabriella shortly. "What have we got on the go this weekend?" Sharpay picked up the business diary and flipped through the next three days.

"We're fully booked. Five adult birthdays, 2 hen parties, 3 stag nights, 2 retirements. Larry is covering the karaoke contest on Venice Beach tomorrow then he's shooting up to Glendale to cover that slimmer's convention on Sunday. Ken is booked as Master of Ceremonies tonight for a local boys football awards and that doesn't include the 6 kids parties we have taken bookings for."

"So you have everything in hand? Everybody knows what they have to do?" questioned Gabriella.

"Relax, Gabs. I have my finger on the pulse," said Sharpay confidently. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Okay, good. At least I can enjoy my weekend without any worries,"commented Gabriella rising from her chair. "I'll take the invoices from last week with me and work on them tonight," she promised as she walked to the door.

"Oh by the way," Sharpay's voice called her back from doorway. Gabriella sighed and turned back to her, "I've been getting funny phone calls."

"What do you mean, funny phone calls?" demanded Gabriella her interest piqued.

"Just that. The phone rings but when either Amy or I answer, you can hear breathing although they don't say anything then they hang up," shrugged Sharpay.

"And you're telling me this why? Ring the phone company, get them traced and put the fear of god into the loser on the other end," advised Gabriella.

"Why didn't I think of that?" asked Sharpay. Gabriella smirked.

"Because I'm the smart one in this outfit," bragged Gabriella. "And don't you forget it."

"As if I could," smirked Sharpay, "isn't that why daddy invested in the first place? Oh I nearly forgot, one of his associates is calling in today to see what we do?"

"How do you mean? You're dad isn't selling his share is he?" queried Gabriella in a panicked tone, nibbling on her lower lip worriedly, her suddenly cloudy chocolate eyes flicked nervously to her friend.

"Don't be silly, Gabs, as if daddy would do that. He's impressed that we've made a success of it, probably shocked that I've actually found something I'm good at if truth be told," giggled Sharpay making fun of herself.

"Ain't that the truth," chipped in Gabriella teasingly her eyes full of amusement.

"No, he just suggested us to this guy who is looking for something different for a charity he's involved with," Sharpay continued with her explanation as if Gabriella hadn't said a word.

"Oh...oh well that's okay then," Gabriella let out a relieved sigh. "You don't need me to hang around, do you?"

"Not if you have to rush back but I thought it would look more professional if both partners were here," said Sharpay offhandedly although Gabriella picked up on the pleading look in her toffee eyes. Gabriella sighed.

"_How does she always manage to make me feel guilty?_" she thought whilst aloud she acquiesced. "No, I'm good for another hour or two," she admitted glancing at her watch. Sharpay beamed at her as she hugged her. "I need a coffee, do you want one?"

"No but if you're going to Starbucks I'll have a Caramel Frappuccino." Gabriella scrunched up her nose but acknowledged Sharpay's request with a nod of her head before picking up her wallet and walking down the block to Starbucks. Twenty minutes later she was back, walking into the shop, her vision blinded by the sun for a moment to find Sharpay talking to a guy with chestnut coloured hair, streaked by the sun in places, the fringe falling over the right side of his forehead that would probably fall into his eye if it wasn't for the aviators he was wearing. He was dressed in a black suit and from the cut it looked expensive, Armani or something similar, she surmised but hey, what did she know. She was not and never had been interested in wearing labels, even if she could afford them.

"_Got to be a poser, who else wears fucking sunglasses inside?" _she thought summing him up. She pasted a fake smile to her face as she handed Sharpay her Frappuccino.

"What took you so long?" demanded Sharpay taking the drink from her.

"There was a queue," drawled Gabriella dryly smirking at Sharpay.

"Well at least you're here now," huffed Sharpay turning to their visitor. "Zeke Baylor, this is my partner, Gabriella Mo...."

"We've met," he interrupted holding out a hand which Gabriella automatically took even before his words registered in her brain. A tingle shot up her arm, sudden awareness registered in her eyes as she tried to stare through the mirrored lens' for a split second to see if her instincts were right before self-preservation kicked in and she tried to pull her hand free only to find herself shackled as his grip tightened discernibly, refusing to let her go.

"Huh?" gasped Sharpay looking from one to the other, her eyes demanding an explanation.

"Its about time we hooked up again, don't you agree, Mrs Bolton."

_**Scars are souvenirs you never lose, **_

_**the past is never far**_

_**Did you lose yourself somewhere out there?**_


	3. Here is Gone

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. The song 'Here is Gone' belongs to the fabulous Goo Goo Dolls and again I only have them on loan.

**A/N: **Hey, sorry I've not updated for a while. My muse decided to take a vacation unfortunately. Hope everyone has their TV's set to record the Golden Globes tonight, let's just hope he walks the red carpet and doesn't sneak in the back way lol! I'm hoping V is with him, it seems such a long time since we saw them at an event.

* * *

"Its about time we hooked up again, don't you agree, Mrs Bolton."

**Here is Gone**

Gabriella visibly paled and felt rather than heard the sharp intake of breath emitted from Sharpay's lips, her accompanying words of "Say what! You must have the wrong girl," faded as her suddenly clammy body shut down, her limbs felt weak, her eyes rolled back in her head before the lids clamped closed, the darkness of her long lashes starkly prominent against her pale complexion, her head light with dizziness as a black void rushed up to claim her, blocking out her worst nightmare. She didn't hear his reply or Sharpay scream her name or the strong arms that caught her before her body had chance to hit the floor.

On reflection, maybe just showing up like that hadn't been the brightest idea he'd ever had but he hadn't expected her to react like that. Hell, he'd give anything for it not to have happened but it had and boy, was he paying the price. Vance's daughter had been chewing his ear off ever since and he highly doubted she'd learnt her colorful language at the posh private school Daddy would have shelled out for. Jesus! She was a termagant.

She'd ordered him to carry Gabriella's limp body into the office at the rear of the premises and he'd laid her down gently on a two seater love seat, noting the paleness of her complexion. He stroked her cheek, registering the clamminess of her skin.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" screamed Sharpay her eyes wide with worry and trepidation and yet still protective of her best friend. Troy remained transfixed with the vision of beauty before him.

"Are you fucking deaf? Leave her the fuck alone! Don't you think you've done enough?" cried Sharpay, her eyes sharply narrowed, spitting venom at him as he ignored the warning tone in her voice, deliberately taking time to remove his glasses. "I don't know what the hell you're playing at but I think you should go." He stood up slowly to his full height, reminding Sharpay in that instant of a sleek panther ready to pounce, to look coldly at her, his brilliant cobalt blue eyes chips of ice.

"I don't. We have unfinished business," he grated uncompromisingly, his eyes steely as they gazed into the molten furnace of hers.

"Does it fucking look like she's in any fit state to conduct 'business'?" sneered Sharpay using her fingers to mock the use of business. He stared at her, silently acknowledging the logic of her words but unwilling to back down. He'd waited too long for this moment.

Sharpay stared him down. Something about him looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She was almost positive she'd never met him before and never wanted to meet him again if she had her way and yet.... Just wait until she met her father again. _"What the hell was daddy thinking of, sending this raving lunatic to us?_" flashed through her mind. A shiver ran up her spine, she wasn't getting good vibes from him. He'd seemed more than pleasant when he'd first entered the shop, his smile breathtaking, the timber of his voice delicious, in fact she thought him extremely attractive, going so far as to flirt outrageously with him but all to no avail; it had been like chatting up a brick wall and she'd assumed then and there he must be gay. He had to be, didn't he? But now she wasn't so sure. She'd seen another side of him, one of power, uncompromising hardness and gritty determination.

"No, you're right," he finally agreed with a sigh.

"Of course I'm freakin' right," scoffed Sharpay with a toss of her hair. He was hard pushed not to show his amusement, turning to look down at Gabriella to hide a small smile.

"I wish she'd wake up?" he murmured quietly.

"Oh yeah, and seeing you leaning over her won't send her into a fucking relapse?" queried Sharpay sarcastically. "Shit! You look like a friggin' vampire waiting to suck her blood." Her comment pulled him up short.

"_Is that how it looks? Damn it to hell, I didn't want it to be like this,"_ he thought regretfully as he gazed down at her, his eyes softening. "_She's still so beautiful."_

"I'm going to call the police," announced Sharpay when he made no attempt to leave, moving across the room to pick up the phone on the desk.

"And say what?" he asked, amusement in his tone, "Excuse me officer but my friend has a had fainting spell," his voice mimicked her, a twisted smile on his lips.

"Hardly," she drawled, "I was thinking more on the lines of 'we have a weirdo on the premises who won't fucking leave'." Her eyes glared at him, daring him to test her. His icy orbs stared back as he debated if her threat was real only to snap into action seconds later, showing Sharpay she wasn't so far off in likening him to a panther, as she lifted the receiver and her finger punched in 9. He leapt across the room, pulling the phone from her hand and slamming it back in the cradle.

"Okay, you win, I'm going," he said grudgingly, raising his arms out wide to show defeat. He grabbed a pen and a Post-It notepad from the desk, bent over and scribbled on it. Ripping it from the pad, he dropped the pen, turned and handed the paper to Sharpay.

"Here's my number, get her to phone me. If she doesn't, I'll be back," he threatened. "And next time I won't be so easy to get rid of."

"Who the hell do you think you are, Arnold Schwarzenegger?" sneered Sharpay with a sarcastic laugh.

"Hardly, but I'm persistent and I know what I want," he stated quietly, the menace only too evident. Sharpay gulped, felt a fissure of alarm course through her. She watched him walk to the door, willing him to leave only to hold her breath as he turned back to look at Gabriella one more time, his face softening as his gaze caressed her sleeping form, which wasn't lost on Sharpay. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before snapping his head up, glancing back at Sharpay with the same twisted smile on his face.

"Oh and you may want to rethink your wording should you ring the police, they don't take kindly to profanity. You could find yourself in the cooler, which, come to think of it, isn't such a bad idea. Forget I said anything," he drawled leaving her staring after him open-mouthed. Sharpay stood looking like a lamebrain, annoyed by his parting comment but also intrigued by the sudden change in his demeanour when he'd looked at Gabriella. Something was decidedly fishy and she was determined to find out what; after all, she was Sharpay Evans.

* * *

Gabriella felt the fog lift and her eyes fluttered open to find Sharpay leaning over her dabbing a damp cloth on her forehead. She blinked then frowned as she wondered what the hell was going on.

"Thank god," gasped Sharpay, worry clouded her amber eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Kind of weird, a bit woozy. What happened?" whispered Gabriella through parched lips.

"You fainted and nearly gave me a heart attack. Shit, Gabs, don't do that again," ordered Sharpay.

"I wasn't planning on doing it a first time," quipped Gabriella dryly, "I've never done that before so why...." her eyes widened, darting up to lock eyes with Sharpay before flickering around the room furtively. Her memory had returned with a vengeance and her heart beat out a rapid tattoo.

Wha...is...has he gone?" she stuttered licking her dry lips then biting on the flesh on the inside of her mouth.

"Uh-uh! I had to threaten the fucker with the police to make him leave," confirmed Sharpay proudly as Gabriella let out a shaky breath of relief.

"Thanks, Shar."

"He's obviously a freak with a screw loose, I mean as if you're married," scoffed Sharpay rolling her eyes. "As your best friend I'd know if you were married or not, wouldn't I?" Gabriella stared unblinking at her, her eyes sombre. Sharpay looked questioningly at her until realisation hit her and she let out a gasp.

"A...he wasn't lying, was he?" Gabriella shook her head sadly.

"B...but how? Okay forget that, I know how but when?" asked Sharpay in astonishment.

"I...it's a long story," Gabriella licked her lips again, swallowing the lump in her throat, "I can't talk about it now, Shar. I have to get out of here," she replied panic lacing her voice.

"Whoa! Hang on a freakin' minute, Gabs, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and do one of your disappearing acts again," barked Sharpay glaring at her.

"I...I wasn't going to. I...I just need some time to...you know...think," stammered Gabriella her eyes pleading with Sharpay to understand.

"Hmpf! A likely story," huffed Sharpay looking suspiciously at her.

"I promise I won't," pleaded Gabriella. "I...it's a sh...shock, is all."

"For you and me both," muttered Sharpay. She stared at her friend, noticing the nervous wringing of her hands, the pallid complexion, the scared expression in her eyes and knew that she was very near the edge. She'd seen it before, she knew the signs. She sighed, looking away only for her gaze to fall on the bold scrawl he'd left. "He left a number, wants you to phone him." Gabriella flinched at her words. Sharpay sighed again, shaking her head as she wordlessly passed the note to Gabriella. Gabriella looked at it, noting the rigid strokes, the firm unbroken lines of the zeros' that somehow denoted the precision and determination of the man.

"Please take it, Gabi, and phone him," begged Sharpay. "That man is fucking scary and I don't want him coming back here. There's no saying what he will do." Gabriella looked at Sharpay, nodded faintly and took it from her, her hand shaking as she did so.

"Rest easy, Shar. It's not you he's looking for," whispered Gabriella.

"If that's meant to make me feel better it's not working," said Sharpay dryly. Gabriella glanced at her watch then gasped.

"I have to go or I'm going to be late."

"Hey, wait up, don't think you can get off that easy, You still haven't told me the ins and outs," snapped Sharpay. Gabriella sighed resignedly.

"Look, come over later tonight and I'll tell you," invited Gabriella, "just...just make sure you aren't followed," she added in warning. Sharpay's eyes bugged out. This was getting more James Bond by the minute.

"Oookaay," she agreed hesitantly. Gabriella gathered her things together then headed for the back door.

"I'll see you later, Shar. Oh and you don't know where I live, if anyone asks," said Gabriella before closing the door behind her, leaving an open-mouthed Sharpay in her wake.

* * *

He walked out of the door, pausing to put his aviators back on to mask the glaring brightness of the sun before carrying on to his car, parked on the opposite side of the road. He settled behind the wheel only to stare at the frontage of _**Sharella**_ pensively. His friend would have been amazed at his performance back there. The persona he presented of remorseless, uncompromising implacability was so far removed from his character it was laughable but it seemed to do the trick; it sure put the wind up Sharpay Evans. His lips curved into a semblance of a smile at the change in her demeanour, from stalwart and fiery defender to cowardly lion with a couple of well chosen words. Her face had been a picture when he left.

He'd been shocked by Gabriella's reaction. His first instinct had been correct when he felt her try to pull her hand away; she was about to flee and he couldn't let that happen; what had surprised him was her collapse. She'd looked so pale and fragile against his dark clad arm, her weight so light when he lifted her he suspected a strong gust of wind would knock her over. That didn't detract from her ethereal beauty or his sudden need to protect her, comfort her, keep her safe in his arms.

It was fair to say he had been disappointed with the way it had gone down. He'd wanted to speak to her, to get a well deserved and long overdue explanation from her but it wasn't to be, at least not yet. He'd been foiled again and it didn't sit well with him. He wanted answers so he could move forward, he'd stagnated long enough. He slammed his palm against the steering wheel in anger and frustration; anger at himself for scaring her, frustration at her for making him chase her only to elude him in the age old tradition with a touch of the vapours as his grandmother used to call it.

It hadn't been the threat of calling the authorities that had made him hesitate, to pull back but the thought of Gabriella having a relapse when she woke to find him hovering over her like an avenging angel. That was not the way he wanted her to see him, just the opposite. With a last lingering glance he fired up the engine and pulled away from the curb hoping that a phone call would be forthcoming in the near future, hoping for a chance to rekindle the past, to relive the most memorable time of his life thus far. He'd lived in a vacuum for far too long, waiting, hoping, praying for a second chance to feel again, to begin living and with any luck, loving.

It had taken a while to find her; the club manager had been reticent when questioned, unwilling to give out the personal information of his staff or contractors, which impressed him in this cut throat industry, it was after all a dog eat dog world and it paid to be cautious. His friend had commented on the equipment left on the stage and he had staked out the club, waiting and watching for someone to collect it and it had paid off when a white van with _**Sharella **_printed on the side pulled up early the next morning and he'd watched them carry out the dismantled frame. He'd made a note of the number before taking his weary body back to the hotel to sleep the rest of the day away. Further searches had revealed the owners and the true nature of the business and he breathed a sigh of relief; the striptease with the bra was an accident, nothing more, nothing less. The shock in Gabriella's eyes and her evident embarrassment had been too real for it not to be genuine. Numerous calls to the number had been fruitless, she hadn't answered the phone once and he'd had to find another way to orchestrate a meeting.

Fortunately, he was a patron for a charity that helped to supply schools with much needed sports equipment and using that role he'd been introduced to Vance Evans earlier in the week; from there it had been easy to open a discussion about an upcoming event he was hosting the following month to raise funds, moaning about the last auctioneer he'd used for the charity raffle and the bait was cast. When Vance had suggested his daughter's company, he'd jumped at the opportunity, asking to meet her at the business to vet the operation and the rest as they say was history. He'd felt bad but what else could he do, he was desperate to meet Gabriella again any which way he could.

* * *

Gabriella's nerves were shot to pieces. Every little sound had her skittish, from the gulls crying as they skimmed the ocean looking for food to her nearest neighbour starting their car, even the soothing sound of the surf that normally calmed her wasn't having the usual effect. Her hand shook as she lifted the glass of wine to her lips, her eyes staring vacantly out of the window, not seeing the view of the ocean but the dazzling blue eyes that had been so cold last time she'd seen them. Memories long buried floated to the surface, of times gone by when those same blue eyes had looked anything but icy; the flame of desire flickered in their depths, drawing her in, warming her with their heat. Groaning, she pushed them back, fighting to keep them in the locked compartment of her brain. It was too painful to remember.

She placed the empty glass on the driftwood coffee table in front of the sofa and stood up to close the door on the ocean then draw the louvre blinds, blocking out the approaching twilight before switching on the lamp that cast a cosy glow around the room. Walking back to the sofa, she stooped to pick an item off the floor and place it in the box in the corner with a smile only to jump out of her skin when her doorbell peeled. Her heartbeat quickened as she hurried to answer it before it could ring again, taking the precaution of looking through the spyhole before opening the door to Sharpay.

"Hi, come in," she said brightly looking over Sharpay's shoulder nervously before pulling her inside and firmly closing the door.

"Stop worrying, I wasn't followed, I made sure of that," confided Sharpay as she walked into the lounge.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" offered Gabriella.

"You know me, Gabs, I never say no to one of those," smirked Sharpay. Gabriella smiled, walking into the kitchen to get a glass and the bottle from the fridge before going back into the lounge. She sat on the sofa beside Sharpay, pouring wine into both glasses and putting the bottle on the table. Sharpay took a sip of her wine then turned to look at Gabriella.

"I can't believe you never told me you were married," she said hurt lacing her voice.

"I...I'm sorry, Shar, I...it's just something I haven't thought about in a long time," stuttered Gabriella.

"Obviously, although how you can forget something so monumental beats me," snorted Sharpay. "What I don't get is how this Zeke Baylor guy knows about it but I don't?" she added affronted by the omission. Gabriella looked sadly at her friend then shook her head.

"I...I haven't a clue who Zeke Baylor is, Shar, but I...he...that wasn't him," revealed Gabriella hesitantly.

"Huh? Come again," uttered Sharpay in a puzzled tone, a frown marring her brow.

"That was my husband, Troy Bolton," whispered Gabriella.

_**And I got my defences  
**__**When it comes to your intentions for me, yeah  
And we wake up in the breakdown  
**__**Of the things we never thought we could be **_


	4. Slide

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. The song 'Slide' belongs to the fabulous Goo Goo Dolls and again I only have them on loan.

**A/N: **Flashbacks are in italics. Thanks for Holly and Mya for helping with details about Vegas. Love you guys. To any waiting for an update for OFB, my humble apologies – my muse deserted me and until I can capture the scene in my head it won't get written.

* * *

"That was my husband, Troy Bolton," whispered Gabriella.

**Slide**

"No shit! Hmm! I can see why you were bowled over. He's a handsome devil, I'll give you that, you could always pick the lookers but fuck! Gabriella, was he always....such an egotistical prick?" asked Sharpay in a shocked voice, pausing as she searched to find the right words to describe him, more so because she couldn't imagine Gabriella falling for anyone who displayed such arrogance.

"No! Do you think I'd fall for someone like that?" gasped Gabriella looking askance at Sharpay.

"Well I didn't think so," replied Sharpay hesitantly who then scrunched up her face in puzzlement, "...but I don't get it, why would he call himself something else?" mumbled Sharpay. Gabriella shrugged her slim shoulders.

"I don't know. Did your dad tell you his name?"

"No, he just said this guy would be calling and he did yesterday and that's when he introduced himself as Zeke Baylor and asked if he could call in today to meet the management and have a guided tour," explained Sharpay.

"Maybe he thought you would mention it to me and if he'd given his real name I'd have recognised it and bolted," surmised Gabriella, "he'd have been right too."

"Hmm, I guess," accepted Sharpay thoughtfully, pausing to take a drink before pinning Gabriella with her rapier gaze.

"So how did you two hook up in the first place and where the hell was I?" demanded Sharpay getting back to the crux of the story.

"You make it sound like we're Siamese twins," taunted Gabriella delaying the moment of truth.

"Hmph! You know what I mean, Gabs, we go everywhere together," whined Sharpay.

"Eww! Not everywhere, Shar," teased Gabriella. Sharpay gave her a pointed stare.

"Quit stalling and get on with it," she ordered.

"Where was I?" asked Gabriella. Sharpay snorted in annoyance.

"Nowhere, you haven't told me a damn thing yet except admit to it. I was asking where you hooked up and why wasn't I there," prompted Sharpay. Gabriella smirked then sighed.

"Oh you were there," drawled Gabriella, "in fact it was all your fault so if anyone is to blame it's you," she accused.

"Uh! I was?" squawked Sharpay astounded by the news. "Hey! Hang on, Gabs, how do you work that one out?"

"It was at the start of the worst time of my life, if you recall." Gabriella looked sadly at Sharpay.

"Oh!" Sharpay uttered softly, "then?"

"Yeah," agreed Gabriella with a sigh. "Anyway, it was you that forced me to go to Vegas, remember? It was you who dragged me away from the books and study sessions saying I needed a break before I had a meltdown. Ring any bells?" taunted Gabriella as she shook the sadness from her. She'd spent long enough dwelling on that time of her life.

"Well you did," confirmed Sharpay, "and so did I. You were driving me crazy." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"So now you know," she said softly reaching for her own glass.

"Like hell I do, you've told me jack. I want details," demanded Sharpay. Gabriella snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Er Shar, there are some things that are best kept private you know," huffed Gabriella. Sharpay laughed.

"Eww! Gabs, you don't have to go in to that much detail," moaned Sharpay. Gabriella laughed at her friend's expression.

"That's good cos I wasn't going to," confirmed Gabriella.

"I still don't get where I was, I mean, how did I miss something so monumental?" asked Sharpay.

"As I recall you were otherwise engaged with some hunk called Nathan, I believe," drawled Gabriella.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him," sighed Sharpay dreamily, "I did rather get carried away with that dish."

"Carried away!" snorted Gabriella, "you ditched me on the first night, holed up in a lovefest somewhere until we had to go home."

"Listen to the kettle calling the pot black," taunted Sharpay, "at least I didn't lose the plot and go the whole hog and get hitched."

"True. That was the ultimate moment of madness," sighed Gabriella.

**

* * *

**

Las Vegas: Friday, 6**th**** April 2001**

_It had taken four hours of solid driving but just after lunch they finally hit the bustling city of Las Vegas in the heart of the Nevada desert. The city that never sleeps. Dressed in her finery, she glittered and shone like a neon beacon, beckoning the hopeful, foolhardy suckers who arrived in town determined to break the bank and change their lives for ever, only for her to spit them out again penniless, their dreams crushed; and still she smiled. She promised a good time, an escape from the real world and that is what she did, nobody could argue with that. _

_Sharpay had checked them into The Luxor, flashing her ever flexible friend that daddy would be picking up the tab for no doubt, assumed Gabriella with a wry grin._

"_So this is how the other half lives," she murmured in awe as she gazed around the sumptuous foyer, filled to bursting with people milling about, some going into the casino, some leaving with slumped shoulders and solemn, downcast faces._

"_Yeah, so relax and enjoy it," advised Sharpay. "For three days this is our playground. Come on, let's get to our room, get changed and catch some rays and who knows, maybe the odd guy or three," added Sharpay with a wink. Gabriella giggled as Sharpay linked arms with her and they walked over to the elevator, the bellboy following behind with their bags._

_It was hard to admit but Sharpay was right, not that Gabriella would ever tell her as much, god knows her head was big enough already, but just a few hours lying by the pool, people watching seemed to take away some of the stress and tension that had been building up inside her. The pressure of finals seemed a world away. The two cocktails she had consumed hadn't hurt either._

_It had been amusing watching Sharpay switch to her femme fatale mode, chatting, flirting and batting her eyelashes at unsuspecting guys who wandered around the pool. They'd gone back to their room to bathe and change before going down to dinner then on to the Lax nightclub within the hotel complex to dance the night away._

_They'd met up with Michelle and Miranda from college who also had the same bright idea, which Gabriella was grateful for an hour later when Sharpay came back from the dance floor with a tall, dark haired guy in tow._

"_Hey Gabs, don't mind if I head on out, do you?" she asked suggestively, raising an eyebrow, her sparkling amber eyes held a mischievous glint. Gabriella grinned knowingly and shook her head._

"_No, but play safe," she warned._

"_Don't I always," grinned Sharpay, "Don't wait up, with this hunk I could be some time." Gabriella giggled casting her eyes over the fine specimen._

"_Just make sure you have your cell and don't forget, we leave on Sunday." If Sharpay was taken with someone she did tend to lose track of time, disappearing for days until her appetite was assuaged and boredom with the guy had set in._

"_I won't, but you may have to drive home. Hopefully I'll be too exhausted." Gabriella rolled her eyes, pushing Sharpay away._

"_Have fun."_

_

* * *

_

Gabriella had returned to the dance floor with Michelle and Miranda after finishing her fourth cocktail of the day. She wasn't drunk by any means, but loose enough to let the music consume her, her body moving to the beat oblivious to the eye catching picture she presented in her short white strapless dress that clung to every curve, the boned bodice keeping her braless breasts snug, only allowing a gentle swell to peak over the top. Her long dark stresses fell down her back like a veil stopping an inch or two above her waist. Suddenly she felt someone grip her hips at the same time a husky male voice whispered in her ear.

"_You know my rep will be in tatters in the morning." A sexy giggle spilled from her lips at the lame pick up line as she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes glowing in the darkened room. He was a head taller than her, rather handsome from what she could tell in the darkened room, she couldn't distinguish the exact colour of his hair but definitely not blonde, his voice huskily attractive, he smelt good too, which was always a plus with Gabriella and his smile, warm and friendly yet sexy too made her breath hitch in her throat. _

"_Why? What are you planning on doing?" she flirted in reply, her voice low and husky._

"_Attempting to dance," he replied with a grin,"although I think I'll only end up making a fool of myself."_

"_You seem to be doing just fine."_

"_Uhm! I don't know about that," he chuckled as he missed a step and banged into her, "see what I mean?" he laughed. _

"_It's all about rhythm, just relax and let the music take hold," she advised turning to face him._

"_Relax," he murmured, "right, I think I got that." He looked adorable with a concentrated frown on his face."_

"_It helps if you don't watch your feet," she suggested with a giggle. His head shot up, brown met startling blue and she was lost in that moment. His hands slid around her waist pulling her close while Gabriella could do nothing more than put her hands on his shoulders that somehow worked their way to the back of his neck by the time the second track started to play. Speech wasn't necessary, their eyes knew all the words as track after track played and they remained glued to each other. Gabriella licked her lips nervously unaware he was watching the action until he increased the pressure on her waist pulling her even closer to him as they both inclined their heads at the same time, lips met in a probative kiss, seeking, testing, tasting. _

_Eventually they walked off the dance floor with his hand at her back guiding her towards the bar where they collected a drink before finding a booth in a corner away from the music._

"_Troy," he said with a smile. "Troy Alexander Bolton, for my sins." Gabriella giggled, repeating it in her head. She liked it. It suited him somehow. "Yeah, I know horrendous. My mother has a lot to answer for as does my father for allowing her free rein."_

"_I like it. I'm Gabriella, Gabriella May Montez for mine," she replied holding out her hand to him. He chuckled in response as he took her delicate hand in his. A fissure of awareness ran up her arm when he enclosed it within his larger slightly calloused one. He had an engaging megawatt smile that lit up his face and she was captivated, drawn to the open friendly smile. There was an invisible pull between them, a chemistry that defied all logical explanations. There was an inbuilt charm about him that relaxed her but at the same time made her heart thump wildly in her breast. Was it lust? She couldn't answer that. All she knew was she wanted to learn more about the guy with the cheesy chat up line. She discovered he too was in college in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had been persuaded to visit the bright lights of Vegas by a few of his friends before sitting his finals. He loved and played basketball, liked skateboarding, video games, movies and golf; typical guy things. He made her laugh with his tales and seemed mesmerised by her giggle, his eyes constantly flicking to her lips with a hungry look that brought a blush to her cheeks and stayed there. She told him she was in college in Los Angeles, stressing out over the finals only a few weeks away and was dragged here by her friend._

"_I'm glad she did," he said moving closer and slipping an arm around her shoulders._

"_I'm glad she did too," agreed Gabriella staring into his eyes. He leant over placing his lips against hers and she responded, her hand moving up to rest against his cheek. Troy pulled her close until thigh touched thigh, chest touched chest._

_Gabriella felt like she was in a dream, a dream she didn't want to wake up from. He'd hypnotised her, drugged her with his magnetism even, until she couldn't remember her own name, only feel the pull of him. She couldn't get enough and wanted more, wanted to feel him around her, beneath her, inside her but in the booth in a public place would only lead to an arrest. Smiling seductively, she took his hand, leading him over to the bank of elevators, steering him inside and pressing the button for her floor. Troy pushed her against the wall of the metal enclosure, his lips teasing, coaxing, drawing a groan from her while his hands skimmed her torso, fluttering teasingly against the curve of her breast, moulding her hips into the curve of his...._

* * *

"Gabi...Hey, Gabi, are you okay?" Sharpay's voice brought her back to earth. Gabriella blinked, the memories faded into the recess in her mind as she refocused on her friend.

"Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" she asked vaguely, blinking once more.

"Well if you were older, I'd say you were having a hot flush," stated Sharpay with a smirk and a kink of her eyebrow. Gabriella flushed even more, glaring at her friend.

"Was I?" she choked out after clearing her suddenly tightened wind pipe.

"Oh yeah, you were. I could have sworn you groaned too." Gabriella sent a startled glance at Sharpay. "Maybe I should ask for details, I could do with some tips to spice up my love life."

"Fuck off, Shar," growled Gabriella. Sharpay burst out laughing at her friend's obvious embarrassment.

"So that's how you met but how in hell did you get from meeting him to marrying him?" demanded Sharpay. Gabriella shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"We...I...he asked me," Gabriella simply said. Sharpay's jaw dropped as she looked at Gabriella as if she had a screw loose.

"Yeah well so did Gary Benson in 12th grade but you didn't say yes to him. If I recall you shot him down with your acerbic tongue," recalled Sharpay caustically.

"I believe that was you," refuted Gabriella dryly.

"Was it? Oh well, you were glad I did," stated Sharpay with a smirk. Gabriella couldn't help giggling, nodding in agreement. "So he just asked you and you said yes?" she returned to the matter in hand, asking disbelievingly. This was Gabriella she was talking to, the cautious, logical, think before you leap friend who only got into situations which, she, Sharpay instigated. She didn't do spontaneity, didn't do anything wacky, off the cuff, spur of the moment, irrational things so what the hell turned her or rather, who? Gabriella sighed looking resignedly at her. Hell! She didn't do men full stop.

"Yeah," she reiterated softly.

"But I don't get it. Why?"

"He...I was spellbound, he made me feel cherished, loved, needed and he wanted me. Not just for one night but for ever and I was caught up in him. He was my first love, hell, my only love. I felt I'd known him all my life, he was my other half, my kindred spirit or so I thought and I didn't want to lose him. I know now it was madness but at the time it felt right."

"God help me! You are such a hopeless romantic, Gabi," muttered Sharpay shaking her head. "Why couldn't you have just spent the weekend fucking each other's brains out."

"Oh we did that," Gabriella said with a dreamy smile, "but it meant more than that," Gabriella added firmly, "to both of us."

"Sure it did," taunted Sharpay.

"It did," insisted Gabriella earnestly. "He must have gone for a run or something because he wasn't there when I woke up Sunday morning, then I got that phone call and my world just went into a downward spiral. I wasn't thinking straight," Gabriella said softly, tears welling up in her eyes. Sharpay cursed herself under her breath, reaching over to hug Gabriella. Gabriella stiffened her spine, shrugging Sharpay away. "Anyway, I called you while I flung stuff into our cases, left him my cell number and met you in the foyer and you know what happened after that." Sharpay nodded giving Gabriella a sympathetic look.

"So he...uhm...he never called?" probed Sharpay gently.

"No. He never did," murmured Gabriella sadly. Sharpay picked up her wine glass, sipping it as she thought back to that time and the events that occurred later. She gasped, nearly choking on a mouthful, her eyes widening as a thought occurred.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed randomly. Gabriella glanced at her with a puzzled frown. "So...uhm...he...does...oh hell! Is he..."

"Uh huh. Now do you understand? Now you know why I've been like I have been, he can't find me, Shar, not at any price," insisted Gabriella urgently, cutting into Sharpay diatribe, her frown deepening, her eyes beseeching. Sharpay gave her a level look before nodding.

"He won't find you through me," Sharpay promised only to get a worried look in her eyes, "but you have to talk to him some time, find out what he wants." Sharpay added insistently. "He sounded like he wasn't going to let it drop and I don't want him back at the shop. You've got to ring him," beseeched Sharpay. Sharpay stayed for another half an hour before finally leaving when Gabriella insisted, after promising she'd be okay and that she wasn't about to disappear into thin air.

After she left, Gabriella picked up the empty wine glasses and bottle, carrying them through to the kitchen before going into her bedroom, undressing and climbing between the sheets. She was unable to sleep however, her mind too full of images of the past. The key to the hidden recess of her mind had been turned rather like Pandora's Box and she couldn't catch them to put them away.

_

* * *

_

She had made it to the room still reasonably respectable, her hair was mussed up, her lips full and swollen but her dress was still intact, clinging to her curves, holding her tingling breasts, her tender nipples straining against the fabric looking for release. She only just made it though as Troy pushed her back against the door, the lock clicking with finality against her butt as his lips captured hers again, his hands skimmed her bare shoulders while her own fluttered to the hard wall of his chest, feeling the thump of his own heart that thudded at the same heightened tempo as hers. His hands slid her zipper down and the dress slithered over her hips, pooling at her feet. The cool air did little to help ease the heat of her skin as he peppered open-mouthed kisses down the exposed skin, resting on the swell of her breast as his hands curved on the underside, lifting her mounds to his eager lips. Gabriella moaned as desire rushed through her like a slick forest fire, heating each pore of her skin as his mouth covered first one then the other, teasing the buds to harden even more. Gabriella in mindless absorption flicked the buttons on his shirt one by one until his bronzed chest was bared to her, her hands ran with wild abandon over his toned abs, stopping to tease his pert nipples with her forefinger and thumb, smiling in satisfaction when an answering moan spilled from his mouth. Eager to explore more, she undid the button at the waistband of his jeans, slowly, tantalizingly pulling the zipper down then pushing them over his slim hips until he stood before her in black Calvin Klein's, his need only too apparent. Curiosity made her touch him and she was surprised at the heat emanating from him; a giggle bubbled up from her throat when he jerked at her actions.

"_So you think it's funny, eh?" he growled, his sparkling eyes belied his roughly spoken words. "Don't you realise what you do to me? I want you, I've wanted you since I first laid eyes on you," he continued huskily. Gabriella stared speechlessly into his blue, blue eyes seeing the sincerity behind the words and her heart soared; she'd never felt needed like this before. Troy swept her up in his arms, stepping out of the jeans that lay around his feet and carried her swiftly to one of the queen size beds, placing her reverently in the center before joining her._

_With infinite care, he caressed every inch of her body with first his hands then his lips until molten lava ran through her veins following the track of his lips. He kissed her senseless, his lips a drug she couldn't get enough of . Allowing them time to catch their breathe he then moved to her eyes, nose, cheeks, earlobes before descending to her neck, drawing a moan of sheer joy from her lips when he found the secret spot that only stoked her inner fires more, his questing lips tasted, sucked and licked her neck before moving down to continue the sweet torment on first one breast then the other. Gabriella gripped his broad shoulders as shudders shook her body, sensations she never dreamed of flooded through her, pooling in liquid heat at her core. Needing to ease the tension building inside she started her own voyage of discovery as her hands wandered down the plains of his back, delighted when her touch caused the muscles to ripple and a groan spilled from his lips. She had been unaware of what power she wielded until that moment but once aware she used it. She let her hands run down to the indent beneath his waist only to be halted by the waistband of his Calvin's. She huffed in annoyance only for Troy to lift his head, sultry amusement evident in his eyes, a crooked smile on his lips._

"_I never thought a little thing like that would stop you," he challenged huskily. Gabriella's eyes narrowed at the challenge and she pushed his shoulders, flipping him onto his back before pouncing, whipping his briefs from his body roughly only to gasp in wonder at the sheer beauty of him. He was magnificent. Then she wondered if she would be able to accommodate his trunk, nibbling on her bottom lip worriedly at the sheer size. With a shaky hand she let one finger run up his length only to hear him grunt as if in pain and her eyes flew to his, doubt evident in the mocha depths. With an encouraging smile he caught her hand, lifting it to his lips to nibble her fingers one by one, taking each one deep into his mouth. The act was so erotic Gabriella trembled with emotion. Troy, sensing her hesitancy, drew her down until she was lying beside him, capturing her lips to begin the seduction all over again, fanning the embers within her until they burst into a flame of need and want. _

_Gabriella writhed as he lowered his head intent on giving her pleasure after pleasure. Where and when he removed her briefs was a mystery but she didn't care as his fingers skilfully fanned the flames as they teased her most private place, flicking her tender nub sent shooting sparks throughout her nerve endings and she bit back a cry only to moan a second later when he inserted a finger into her wet core, stroking her inner walls that started her on a journey she had never been to before, white streaks of lightening flicked across her closed orbs as the tension grew more and more intense when Troy inserted a second finger, stretching her walls, pushing her further and further into the maelstrom of desire until she slipped over the edge, crying out as she reached her very first orgasm. Shudders racked her body as Troy kissed her flower before moving back up to drink his fill from her lips, his hands gently rubbing across her stomach as she slowly came back to earth._

"_I...thank you," she whispered against his lips, stunned by her own body's reaction and by the guy who had made her aware for the first time of her own sexuality._

"_Don't thank me, it was a pleasure," he assured her with his crooked smile. Gabriella smiled, she expected to feel embarrassed but with Troy, she wasn't. It felt right somehow. She stroked his cheek before kissing him, slowly, languidly, taking her time to explore the inner recess with her tongue, amazed at the pleasure she was deriving from such a simple act. Troy held her close, one hand stroking down her side before curving around her breast, his thumb stroking the tenderised nipple smiling against her lips when he felt her breath hitch in her throat. Slowly but surely he began stoking the flames until Gabriella was writhing beneath him once more. Settling between her legs, he gently pushed her thighs wide, watching her face as he rested his cock at the entrance to her passage, feeling the quiver of anticipation a moment before he slowly penetrated into the heat inside, feeling her walls enfold him welcoming him even as he pushed deeper only to feel the barrier at the same time she let out a cry of pain._

"_What the fuck?" he thought as he tested the barrier, his eyes darting to her face, a question in the ocean depths that was answered the minute they locked with her. Shit!_

"_Gabriella, are you a virgin?" She nodded, biting her lower lip. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked as he withdrew although the thought of stopping was killing him. The question filtered into Gabriella's brain. Did she? Did she want to stop the pleasure she knew he could give her? Hell no! He'd already given her so much and she knew, felt it in her marrow that she wanted him to be her first. It felt right, he felt right. She'd known it the minute their eyes locked, he was her soul-mate. Pure and simple. She shook her head, winding her arms around his neck, urging him down to place her lips on his, to drink, to taste, to feel again the magic that existed between them. Troy groaned as their lips touched, her tongue licking, begging for admittance and he couldn't refuse, he felt bound to her with ropes so tight, he never wanted to be free._

_Why hadn't she said something, made him aware of the situation?He'd have been more gentle or at least tried to be. He felt empowered, honoured to be chosen as her first. A great tide of emotion so strong flooded through him and he felt possessive for the very first time. She was giving herself to him, giving him the greatest gift she could possibly give; herself. She was his or would be very soon and his heart swelled with what? Lust? Love?_

_Gabriella wriggled beneath him, forcing his mind away from his chaotic thoughts and back to the current situation. Slowly his hands began their journey again, stroking the embers with even more care, his mouth ravished hers, teasing, caressing, demanding a response that she only too freely gave. His fingers coaxed, stroked, teased her body, finely tuning her responses until the little cries from her throat and her laboured breathing let him know she was ready and he positioned himself between her thighs once more, gently easing into her wet passage, her walls stretching to accommodate him as he pushed deeper. He took her mouth in his mouth, catching her cry of pain as he pushed through her barrier, her walls tight and hot, his hands stroking her as he felt her body tense beneath him, easing away the tension, his lips caught the single tear that slid down her cheek while resting inside her allowing her time to acclimatise to the foreign body buried inside until she told him differently, wrapping her legs around him forcing him forward going deeper and deeper into her cavern. Troy locked eyes with her, murmuring sweet words of encouragement as he began to slowly move within her, rocking gently, watching the play of emotions on her face change from a grimace of discomfort, to wide-eyed shock to delight as he stroked her walls, slowly building the rhythm as he withdrew only to surge back again and again until she lifted her hips, joining him as they worked together, driving up the hill towards the peak, both gasping as they touched the heavens only to tumble down the other side. Troy fell to her side, his breath rasping and shallow, gathering her trembling body into his arms, gently stroking her hair while they both bathed in the aftermath. She was beautiful, truly beautiful and she had given herself to him_

"_Why me?" he asked when he was able._

"_Why not?" she shrugged. Troy raised himself up propping his hand under his head as he stared at her. _

"_Because you're not that type of girl, we just proved that," he replied shortly annoyed by her casualness._

"_Be...because...How many twenty one year old virgins do you know?" she questioned, mocking her own status as was. Troy frowned, not liking the way she belittled herself. _

"_Stop that," he admonished. "What you just gave me was precious, the most beautiful gift I have ever had, the most beautiful gift you could give anyone so I'll ask again, why me?" Gabriella looked at him, her soft doe eyes still holding wonder, feeling the same magic swirl between them even though he was frowning at her._

"_It felt right, you felt right, is all," she said simply, placing her hand on his chest. Troy glanced down at her hand so small and petite against his skin before glancing up, catching that innocent look of wonder as her words swirled around his brain. He couldn't argue. He had to agree, it had felt right, she felt right within his arms. It was where she belonged. Something swelled inside him as he gazed into her eyes and he reached for her, slamming his lips against hers, her soft pliant body moulded to his, her arms folded around his neck drawing him down, crushing her breasts against his chest as he felt stirrings of desire fill his body once more. Unable to resist her honeyed sweetness he tasted her again, felt the same blaze burst into flame as he loved her again, her untutored body learning fast how to please him, as he took them both on a ride to the stars that surpassed anything he'd ever experienced before. Limbs tangled in the afterglow, their breathing shallow and laboured, Troy pulled her close, noting how her body fit perfectly with his as she lay on her side, his body sheltering hers in the curve of his body as his hand rested lightly on her waist, possessive maybe but also protectively. It felt right; natural. He leant forward dropping a light kiss on the side of her neck at which she turned her head and he swooped taking the offer of her plump lips, tasting her unique flavour._

"_Marry me," he whispered against her lips. Gabriella pushed him up to stare into his eyes, seeing the sincerity but also pleading within their depths, "Now, today,"he insisted. _

"_Why?" His blue, blue eyes locked with her chocolate ones and he beamed as realisation hit him._

"_Because I want to wake up where you are until the end of time," he replied huskily, the sincerity shining through his eyes. His lips curved into a victorious smile when she nodded. _

* * *

Christ! She'd been naïve, caught up in the bubble of sexual awakening. Gabriella groaned, heat flooding her body as she remembered with startling clarity. Even now she could still feel his lips, his hands working their magic, his hard body scraping against her own, his rock hard member, stroking, pushing, teasing, touching the base of her womb and feelings swirled and eddied within her, leaving her wanting, incomplete.

"Bastard! Why didn't you phone?" she sobbed into her pillow.

_**And I'll do anything you ever**_  
_**Dreamed to be complete**_  
_**Oh May, put your arms around me  
What you feel is what you are  
And what you are is beautiful  
Oh May, do you wanna get married **_

_**I wanna wake up where you are**_


	5. Without You Here

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. The song 'Without you here ' belongs to the fabulous Goo Goo Dolls and again I can only thank John Rzeznik for his wonderful lyrics.

**A/N: **Flashbacks are in italics. I'm so excited to hear Zac is presenting at the Oscars. Let's hope he takes Vanessa with him.

* * *

"Bastard! Why didn't you phone?" she sobbed into her pillow.

**Without you Here**

Troy walked back into the Four Seasons Hotel, collected his key and made his way up to his room. He'd been in Los Angeles all of three weeks and was still no further forward finding a suitable house although he'd looked at plenty. The real estate agent he'd engaged must be getting frustrated with him by now but he'd not seen one that had peaked his interest, given off a good vibe or made him feel comfortable in; one he could even contemplate making his home. They'd all been super modern or period pieces and neither style suited him. He didn't want straight lines with minimal furnishings – hell, that air of sterility would be tarnished in a day with him – he wasn't the tidiest of people; but on the other hand he didn't want to live in a mausoleum either. He didn't care if a baronet had owned the writing bureau – what the fuck did he want with one of those anyway?

He'd been drafted into the NBA as soon as he'd completed his finals, although god knows how he had passed. Even to this day he couldn't believe he'd managed to achieve it. He'd been such a wreck after arriving back at college following the fateful trip to Las Vegas and consequently it had been a total shock when he'd been sounded out by the scout for the Denver Nuggets and he had snapped up the offer that had catapulted him into the mainstream of the NBA, staying for a successful season and even winning the Rookie of the Year Award before he was traded to the New York Nicks for a sizeable sum that Denver could not possibly turn down however much the fans wished it. He'd enjoyed his time in New York but it had never felt like home. His aim, his dream, had always been to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and finally it was being realised. There was the added bonus of meeting up with his brother in all but blood, his oldest friend from high school, Chad Danforth, who had joined the Lakers two seasons previously from the Phoenix Suns. At the time of his transfer, Chad gloated that he'd finally beaten Troy to something, taking immense pleasure rubbing Troy's nose in it but Troy hadn't taken offence, in fact he'd been pleased for Chad and his family. Talking to Taylor, his wife, over the phone after they relocated he'd got the impression that it was the best move Chad had ever made, well apart from marrying the dusky skinned beauty in the first place.

After arriving in LA, Chad and Taylor had pressed him to stay with them until he'd found his own place but he hadn't wanted to impose on them. He'd grown used to having his own space, doing what he wanted when he wanted plus he hadn't wanted to disrupt their family life. If he was honest, he'd admit he was jealous of Chad. He wanted what he had; a loving wife and two beautiful children but he wasn't a masochist, he didn't want to contemplate his own failings on a daily basis. Not that he would have wanted it in the order that Chad had got it – two weeks after finals Taylor had told him he was going to be a daddy and Chad had flown into a panic of mega proportions. It was left to Troy to haul him out of the numerous bars that he had started frequenting on a nightly basis. It had been a torrid time for Troy and yet his friend's turmoil had helped him with his own heartbreak. Forced to look after Chad, Troy's own anguish had diminished somewhat. It had only been at Chad's stag night when they were both plastered that Chad had learned for the first time about Troy's own ill-fated marriage. It had pulled him up short, made him realise what a gem he was getting in Taylor and their unborn infant. He'd thanked Troy for making him see what he'd nearly lost through his own stupidity. From that night, Chad changed, matured almost overnight, got his act together, married the woman who had stuck by him since high school and signed on with the Phoenix Suns.

Troy had been dumbstruck when he'd been cajoled by Chad into joining Coach Norton's birthday celebrations with his new team mates, only to find himself staring once more at the woman who had stolen his heart seven years prior; his wife - for all of thirty six hours. He had dreamed for years of meeting up with the raven haired beauty once more, his feelings flitting between hate and love in each fantasy but never in his wildest dreams had he envisioned meeting her again in this way. Her body had matured, filled out into luscious curves that held even more promise than seven years ago, yet she still had the same adorable smile, the same breathtaking deep brown eyes that all but melted his heart. A lump had formed in his throat and he forgot to breath as he watched her sing, mesmerised by the sweet sound that spilled from those lips that had touched every part of his body; that was until the unthinkable happened and he'd been the proud recipient of her gem encrusted bra top. Only then had his mind returned to the present, vicious thoughts swam in his brain. She should not be flaunting herself like that, in public, in a room full of testosterone filled men, she was his to look at, no one else should be allowed to view her bare body apart from him. A possessiveness he didn't think he was capable of flooded through his body and his eyes had grown frosty with insolence and anger. Her frightened brown orbs had been caught and held by him as he cruelly stripped away her defences, his eyes ravished her giving no quarter then he'd cursed himself for letting his anger bubble to the fore and be seen by her. Who could blame her for running off like a bat out of hell?

To think she had been so close gnawed at him. How many times had he flown in to spend time with Chad and his godson, Theo, over the last couple of years? Too numerous to contemplate and yet she'd been in the same state, in the same fucking city god damn it! He shouldn't have been surprised, she had told him all those years ago that she was at university in Los Angeles but he had never thought she would still be here. Her dream had been to secure a post as a journalist based in Washington, reporting on political shenanigans, uncovering the truth hidden by the lies fed to the world by congress rather like Woodward and Bernstein. He often watched the news and purchased the Washington Post on a regular basis looking for her byline, hoping for a sighting of any kind, if only in print. At least he would have had a starting point to begin searching for her yet her name had never appeared and now he knew why – she'd been here all the while. He wondered what had stopped her from achieving her ambition.

He flung his key-card on the dressing table, pulled his shoes off his feet then flung himself on the king-sized bed, the springs squeaking in protest. He rubbed his hand over his tired eyes and sighed in defeat. He hadn't been in the right frame of mind to view property, spending another wasted day on the fruitless search and wondered why he'd even gone in the first place. He knew why? Since seeing Gabriella again he couldn't picture living anywhere without her there. He didn't want to live alone any more, he'd had enough of that lonely existence. He wanted a home filled with warmth and love but he couldn't see that happening any time soon; he needed Gabriella in it to bring that about, and as such his thoughts had been miles away wondering what that particular petite brunette was doing. He was in a dilemma – What to do? What to say? He'd been so close yesterday, even held her in his arms and he had to admit it had felt good, it had felt so right – if only she had been conscious. He could only hope that she would call. Was that too little to ask after all this time? He'd leave her another day, two at the most to give it some thought and come to terms with his presence but that was the only concession he would allow. If she had any sense at all, if her friend had delivered his message properly, she'd call. If she knew him at all she'd know he wasn't going to give up. It was not his way, he was not a shirker. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. He'd been patient long enough but that patience was slowly running thin.

He thought back to the first time he'd laid eyes on her, the moment she had set his pulse racing, the moment he had been captivated by a slip of a girl with merriment in her eyes, with lips that held untold promises, with long flowing locks that shone in the strobe lights beckoning him, luring him like a siren to his destruction.

_He'd been dragged into LAX nightclub by his friends who had scattered to the four corners of the room as soon as the first round was bought in search of female company, leaving only him and his best friend standing against the railing that ran around the perimeter, bottle of beer in hand. He'd caught a flash of white through the sea of dancers gyrating below him and his eyes honed in, watching her every move._

"_Dude, did you hear a word I said?" questioned the guy next to him, annoyance clearly evident in his tone._

"_Uhm? What did you say?" he replied vaguely, his eyes never leaving the enticing view before him._

"_I said do you think Coach will bench Williams after the brawl last night?"_

"_Who cares," drawled the enchanted._

"_WHO CARES! What the fuck, Troy, don't you want to reach the play-offs?" yelled his friend above the noise in the club._

"_Sure I do, but there is more to life than basketball," shrugged Troy._

"_Oh yeah, like what?" gasped his friend._

"_Like girls," quipped Troy still mesmerised by the beauty before him._

"_GIRLS!," yelped the curly haired one. "I guess they have their uses but fuck, Troy, they aren't in the same league as the game we love."_

"_Don't let Taylor hear you say that," taunted Troy with a grin, gently reminding his friend about his girlfriend. "Besides didn't you learn anything in biology, Chad? Without them the world would grind to a juddering halt." Troy turned to grin at him. "Here, hang on to this," he said handing Chad his bottle before walking off towards the steps and down onto the packed dance floor, leaving Chad looking after him open-mouthed and bemused._

_Girls turned, looking expectantly at him, their eyes pleading for him to stop and dance with them but he was oblivious to their interest. His eyes were trained on one girl only, her long brunette tresses appeared almost black against the pure whiteness of her strapless dress that clung to her bosom and stopped just below her thigh, the dark luscious curls tumbled down her back almost to her waist, hiding most of the dress but emphasising her rounded ass and hips, her shoulders glistened under the strobe lights, whether from perspiration or a dusting of powder he wasn't sure yet._

_He stopped a foot from her to appreciate the sway of her hips, the gentle flow of her hair, the shapely tanned legs that seemed to go on for ever until he was jostled from behind, pulling him out of his trance and forcing him forward. He moved up behind her, placing his hands on her hips and leaning forward to whisper in her ear._

He shifted uncomfortable on the bedspread, causing the springs to squeak in protest. Even now, seven years later, he cringed at the pathetic words that had spilled from his mouth. He'd been such a dumbass back then but thankfully it had worked. Gabriella – god, even now her name made his body harden with suppressed desire; Gabriella, his angel in white, had simply giggled and stolen his heart in that moment, then when he'd looked into her dark pools he'd seen his future and he'd gone willingly, caught in the trap fate had ordained. When her lips of nectar had melded with his he'd taken them greedily, hungrily, wanting nothing more than to taste them forever. With her it had felt so right, the easy rapport that flowed between them made him feel he'd known her for ever. They'd shared their dreams of the future, his to play basketball at the highest level, to play for his country if he was lucky enough to be chosen, hers to write about the truth, to make the world a better place, free of corruption and intrigue, to show how the world could be without pointless wars that only brought unnecessary bloodshed and despair to the innocent.

_When kisses were not enough, she'd led him up to her room to continue their heated exchange, free to strip away the barriers until they'd bared their bodies and souls to each other. He'd loved her with everything he possessed, tasting the ambrosia of her juices but then had come the shocking discovery. It had sent him into a tailspin – how could she give off sexual signals with such blatant unawareness when her body had no carnal knowledge, was unexplored territory, untouched by man. It had nearly killed him to pull back when he was so close to the point of no return but pull back he had, giving her time to change her mind. When she'd simply shook her head, pulling him down to taste his lips, his heart flipped in his chest, filling with a feeling so strong he felt he would burst with the power she'd bestowed on him, trusting him with her precious gift. He'd tried to be gentle, oh how he'd tried, waiting patiently until she sobbed her need but there was always going to be an element of pain. What had amazed him was the quickness in which she forgot her pain, urging him deeper, her arms and legs clasped around him, shackling him to her as she moved and squirmed beneath him, her hips working in conjunction with his as they'd rode the waves of desire together, reaching, achieving then falling over the edge._

Troy groaned as if in pain, the memory so vivid, his body was responding; even now, he could taste her, smell her sweet unique scent, feel her surrounding him. He jerked up from the bed, the mattress creaking in protest, stripping off his clothes viciously he strode into the bathroom, stepping into the shower, he flicked the switch, letting the cold water sluice his body, cooling his heated skin, drowning his hardened dick until the painful throb dispersed, until his erection subsided and hung flaccidly between his legs.

As he walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist his cell phone rang and he froze, his eyes darting around the room looking for it. He ran to his jacket, franticly searching the pockets, tossing it aside in annoyance when it wasn't there then he grabbed his trousers, sighing in relief when he felt the additional weight in the pocket. Just as suddenly the ringing stopped and he groaned in frustration. It could be the phone call he'd been waiting for, it could be Gabriella. He pulled it from the pocket glaring at it just as it started ringing again. He snapped it open and put the phone to his ear.

"**Yo, Troy. How did it go?"**

"Oh, it's you," Troy sighed with disappointment.

"**Er yeah. Who did you think it was?" **asked Chad in a puzzled tone.

"I was hoping it was her."

"**Huh! But I thought you were going to see her yesterday?"**

"I was...I mean I did...I...er...it didn't go according to plan." Troy rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.

"**How do you mean? Did she run off again?" **Chad chuckled as he said it.

"She tried at first but I made sure she couldn't but then she...er...she passed out." Chad burst out laughing.

"**Wow! I heard you had an affect on women but hell, Troy..." **

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," huffed Troy pissed at his friend's reaction.

"**Sorry, Dude. So what happened when she came round?"**

"I...er...I don't know, I...I wasn't there," admitted Troy rubbing a hand around the back of his neck nervously.

"**What the hell! You...I...surely you didn't just leave her?" **Chad spluttered trying to mask his disappointment in his friend.

"Of course I didn't," replied Troy with annoyance lacing his voice, "What do you take me for? I...er I was forced to leave. She had her watchdog with her who threatened to call the cops if I didn't leave." Chad chuckled down the phone.

"**Dude, you disappoint me, I wouldn't have thought you'd be scared of an idle threat like that."**

"Oh, it wasn't idle. You haven't met her friend, she's a fucking nutcase. Seriously! Stop laughing, Chad, it isn't freakin' funny – she's scary. Think of Taylor when she was six months pregnant and times it by a hundred and you'll know what I was up against." Silence met him.

"**Dude, you have my sympathies. I now understand why you bolted,"** Chad consoled solemnly knowing how erratic Taylor's mood swings were a year ago. "**What...so...you're not going to give up?"**

"Not a chance, Chad. I've left my cell number with her crazy mate. I'll give her another day, let her come to terms with me showing up in the hope that she'll ring. She must know there's no escaping now I know where she is."

"**You're too fucking nice for....Ow!...TAY!."** Troy burst out laughing, he could hear Taylor berating her husband for his language and he knew she'd hit him on the head. He'd seen her do it too many times. "**I'm gonna blame you when I have brain damage by the time I'm thirty," **muttered Chad to his wife.

"**Chad, you've always had brain damage, why else would you prance around with a ball glued to your finger?" **Troy burst out laughing anew at Taylor's smart retort.

"She's got you there, buddy."

"**Hey! I thought you were on my side," **whined Chad.

"I am, I am," Troy protested, "but you do go to the extreme, I mean, you don't see Kobe walking around nursing a basketball, or me for that matter."

"**Yeah, well he's past his prime now and you, well, you...you just don't feel the power," **he ended lamely. Troy chuckled.

"I'll show you power tomorrow when I thrash you in our first practice session."

"**You and who's army?" **scoffed Chad, **"Tay wants to know if you will come for dinner tomorrow night?"**

"I'd like that. Thanks, Chad. That's all subject to getting a phone call from you know who." Troy sighed sadly.

"**Cool. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Troy, and I hope you get a call tonight."**

"You and me both, buddy." Troy shut his phone only for it to ring again immediately, the vibration tickled his hand and he nearly dropped it with shock..............he glanced at the screen with wide eyes.........withheld number.....

_Your love's a gathered storm I chased across the sky  
A moment in your arms became the reason why  
And you're still the only light that fills the emptiness  
The only one I need until my dying breath  
And I would give you everything just to  
Feel your open arms_

_And now, now that you're near  
There's nothing more without you  
Without you here _


	6. It's Over

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. The song 'It's Over ' belongs to the fabulous Goo Goo Dolls and again I only have them on loan.

**A/N: **Flashbacks are in italics. Thanks to all the readers that have taken the trouble to review this story. Some details will become clearer in the next couple of chapters so bear with me.

* * *

"You and me both, buddy." Troy shut his phone only for it to ring again immediately, the vibration tickled his hand and he nearly dropped it with shock..............he glanced at the screen with wide eyes.........withheld number.....

**It's Over**

She'd tossed and turned all of the previous night, the memories long hidden shooting to the surface, flooding her mind and taking over her body, feelings she had suppressed for seven years came back with a vengeance, leaving her body hot, aching with want and it was a relief when the first slivers of daylight peeped through the gap in the blinds. Giving up any chance of falling asleep now she rolled out of bed, made her usual morning coffee and sat on the deck watching the ocean, hoping it would instil some calm into her shattered body. Sharpay's parting words reverberated in her head. She sighed heavily.

How had he found her? It was a puzzle that perplexed and confused her but it also made her realise how determined and tenacious he was, his very actions showed he wasn't going to go away without speaking to her. Why would he want to speak to her after all this time? Surely what was done was done? Unless...he wanted a divorce. She paused in the process of bringing the cup to her lips, shocked to her core by the thought. She had never thought of him being with anyone else and yet why shouldn't he have a new life, a new woman on his arm, in his bed. The thought of him with someone else made her feel sick to her stomach, a sharp pain lanced her heart and she let out a dry sob. But...if that was the case why had he looked at her the way he had at the birthday party? He'd looked so angry, she'd seen it in his eyes before he'd masked it, his eyes narrowing in a calculated, predatory way, proprietorial even. She shook her head in bafflement. Whatever his reason for giving chase, she knew for her own peace of mind she had to know, she had to bite the bullet, grit her teeth and speak with him, find out what he wanted before she could move forward and get on with her life; she just hoped she was strong enough for the task. Why was life so hard?

It took practically the whole day for her to pluck up the courage, her normal routine helped somewhat but her chaotic thoughts were never far from the surface. Should she, shouldn't she swirled around in her mind like a persistent bluebottle. She'd lost count of the times that she had picked up the phone, pressed a couple of the digits then lost her nerve and set the receiver back into the cradle, each time going that one digit further. She'd jumped when it had actually rung just as she'd replaced it, to find one of her friends on the other end and after chatting with her she'd gently hung up, a frown marring her smooth forehead. She let out a sigh, fate was lending a hand. Her stomach clenched, her heart thudded loudly in her breast as she licked her suddenly dry lips and stared once more at the firm strokes on the note lying next to the phone, their very presence daring her to go the whole way and punch in the full number. Picking up the receiver, she did just that. It was now or never. The phone rang but she got the engaged tone and she breathed a sigh of relief for the brief respite. Plucking up courage she tried again a few minutes later determined that this would be the last time she'd try. It rang twice before it was answered and her heart leapt into her mouth.

"**Hello...... Hello!......Hey, I can hear you breathing so you might as well say something....." **The sound of his voice even with the sarcastic inflection turned Gabriella's legs to jelly and she sank gratefully onto the sofa. She didn't know what to say. What do you say to your estranged husband? How have you been? Has life been good to you? What took you so fucking long? She let out a sigh, gripped the receiver tightly, thought twice about hanging up then set her shoulders ramrod straight and took a huge breath.

"I believe you wanted me?" she said coolly. There was a stunned silence on the other end.

"**Gabriella?"**

"Uh huh." She could almost hear his mind ticking over. She thought she heard him say 'thank god' but she couldn't swear to it.

"**I'm glad you decided to come to your senses and ring. We need to talk. Where are you?"** Oh hell! There was no way she was going to let him come here, into her home, her fortress, her sanctuary.

"I agree, we do, but can't we do it over the phone?" She silently raised her head to the ceiling and prayed he'd say yes.

"**No. That's not possible. I need to see you. Where are you?" **Persistent much!

"Fine," she said shortly. "Suggest a place and time and I'll be there." She heard a muttered curse on the other end and smiled. He obviously didn't like being thwarted.

"**The Four Seasons Hotel. Do you know it?"**

"Sure, doesn't everyone?" she snapped back flippantly. "What time?" Troy was getting irritated by her attitude.

"**6pm." **His inflexible tone brooked no opposition and she gasped aloud.

"What! You mean today?" she squeaked.

"**I do, I've been more than patient, don't you think?**" he replied tersely.

"That only gives me an hour," she gasped.

"**Exactly. Less chance for you to talk yourself out of it.**"

"But...."

"**One hour, Gabriella. Don't be late." **His firm tone sent a shiver down her spine.

"Oh!"He'd put the phone down on her. The dialling tone mocked her.

* * *

With a satisfied smile Troy let out a sigh of relief as he hung up the phone. Relief that she'd made contact, the smile because he had taken the wind out of her sails, knocked her cool composure and taken control of the phone call. His smile dimmed however when he realised he still didn't know where she was, where she lived or, god forbid, who she lived with. His heart sank at the thought of her being with someone else, it was one he'd not even contemplated. Losing her was hard enough, to find her living with another man, sleeping with someone else, had him coming out in a cold sweat of trepidation, his heart squeezed painful and he swallowed to keep down the bile that suddenly filled up his throat. It wasn't a scenario he'd ever envisioned. Shaking his head he thrust it out of his mind. Instead he focused on the next couple of hours because he was determined to get to the bottom of why she had left him stranded in Vegas, married without the benefits for seven long years. At least he'd learned something new about his wife, she was obstinate. He had a feeling the meeting would not be as easy as the phone call.

Her palms were sweating as she pocketed her keys after locking her car in the hotel's underground car park. The bravado she had felt while speaking over the phone, a safe distance between them, had all but vanished and she smoothed them down the front of her calf length bohemian style cotton skirt in muted burgundy tones. Teamed with a white Indian cotton sleeveless scoop-necked blouse under a brown suede jacket and brown knee length boots, she tried for the smart casual look and thought she'd achieved it. She had to force herself to walk towards the entrance to the elevator when her churning insides were screaming for her to turn around and get the hell out of there. She was fifteen minutes late to add to her nervousness but if the insufferable man expected her to turn up in one of the velour lounge suits she tended to favour while at home he had another think coming. If he was pissed – too bad, so was she through his dictatorial manner. She stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for reception and took a deep breath as it bore her upwards.

Troy had been pacing around the reception foyer like a caged tiger, his wrist on a permanent swivel as he glanced once more at his watch. People had started to notice him and he groaned in dismay. Just what he didn't need. He glanced around, spotting a seating area from where he could clearly see the main entrance and the reception desk and best of all the end Chesterfield chair had a large fern plant that could shield him from inquisitive eyes. That was the down side of being well known. The chance of privacy was very limited but he'd taken care of that, when and if she deigned to put in an appearance. He quickly sunk into the seat sighing with impatience. She was doing it deliberately he was sure, testing him to see how far she could push him, trying his patience. He couldn't remember when he'd been this nervous, not when they got married which had surprised him, he had expected to feel it then but no, he'd been calm, excited but mostly a sense of peace had spread through him because it had felt so right and not even at his basketball début with hundreds screaming and chanting for the team but now – hell! This was torture.

* * *

She stepped from the elevator into the luxurious foyer that had a remarkably warm colonial feel, large palms and potted ferns were dotted around the surprisingly small area considering the size of the hotel, mahogany furniture, possibly antique pieces were placed strategically together with a seating area reminiscent of the regency period. Fighting the nervous flutter of butterfly wings in her stomach she strode confidently towards the large reception desk that dominated the back wall. Suddenly a hand clamped on her arm and pulled her round and she let out a startled cry, a sliver of fear ran down her spine. "_What the fuck! Was it possible to get accosted in the middle of a five star hotel lobby?" _Her stormy seal brown eyes shot up only to be transfixed by steel blue orbs. Her jaw dropped and she saw the flash of amusement in their mesmerising depths before they narrowed alarmingly. Her hackles rose.

"You're late," he growled. She glared at him as her back stiffened at his words.

"You don't say, Sherlock," she drawled sarcastically pulling her arm free from his grasp. She was determined not to show him her inner turmoil.

"_Hmm, feisty," _He thought, liking her spirit, _"at least she's not going to pull another stunt like last time with that kind of attitude."_

"I do, Watson. Your timing is diabolical. I sure hope you don't treat your employer the same way?" Troy answered with a smirk.

"_Uh-uh, nice try, Bolton, but it ain't gonna work. Looks like you snapped your line." _Gabriella rolled her eyes, a crooked smile on her lips as some of the tension in her shoulders eased at the tone of his reply.

"Fortunately I don't have that problem, besides I'm here aren't I," she said with a shrug. His eyes darkened at her couldn't care less tone.

"You are indeed. Let's get this started." He took her elbow firmly and the sliver of fear shot up her arm again only it wasn't fear but a tingling of awareness, a feeling she had not felt for a long time. Her breath hitched in her throat as he guided her away from the foyer, around the corner to a bank of elevators. Gabriella looked puzzled as they stopped beside them.

"Wait! Where are we going? I thought we'd discuss this rationally in the lounge." Troy looked at her through hooded watchful eyes then shook his head.

"Not practical, too many people could overhear and it isn't the kind of discussion I want every Tom, Dick or Harry to witness." Gabriella tried the quell the panicky sensation that prickled up her spine. She didn't liking the sound of this at all. She hadn't thought past meeting up with him, she hadn't anticipated just where they'd be meeting. When he'd suggested the Four Seasons it had seemed innocuous enough, not threatening, rather civilised but now....Shit! What an idiot. She understood his point but surely there were quiet places around the hotel, areas conducive for private meetings but still within the public domain? Troy was watching the play of emotions flickering in her eyes and prayed the elevator would arrive soon before she decided to make a dash for it.

"But... hold on...I thought..." she stammered as the doors opened. Troy hustled her into the enclosure, not giving her time to formulate what she thought, or argue would be more to the point looking at her set expression before pressing the button for the fourteenth floor, letting out a thankful sigh when the doors closed enclosing them in its metal cocoon.

"Don't argue, there's a good girl." He leaned nonchalantly against the opposite wall of the elevator, his hooded eyes staring into hers, daring her to argue. Gabriella glared back, his patronising tone grating but she refused to be browbeaten by him and yet the silence in the lift swirled around her with a sense of foreboding and a shiver ran up her spine. If he wanted to scare her shitless, he was succeeding. Gabriella shifted her eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her, the only outward sign of nerves she portrayed was the licking of her suddenly dry lips. Seconds later she realised that wasn't a good idea as she felt his gaze move from her eyes to her lips and she silently berated herself for the nervous gesture. She breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator pinged and the doors opened noiselessly. He gestured with his arm for her to proceed him into the elegant corridor, her feet sinking into the plush carpet as she stepped out. He caught her elbow and guided her down to the end, pausing only to run his key card into the slot on the door before pushing the door wide and ushering her inside.

Gabriella swept her eyes around an elegant lounge decorated in rich golden hues, the period furniture had a regal feel in keeping with the foyer. Large full length windows showed a view of LA, allowing the late afternoon sunshine to filter into the room giving the room a warm, cosy feeling. A table was laid for two over a crisp white tablecloth making Gabriella glance questioningly back at Troy who stood at her shoulder.

"Have you eaten?" he asked. Gabriella shook her head unable to dislodge the lump that taken root in her throat."Good, I thought we could eat," he said with a careless shrug, "no reason why we can't talk on a full stomach, is there?"

"I guess not," she whispered walking over to the window to stare out to freedom. The thought of food was making her feel ill. How could he even think of eating when her stomach was doing somersaults? Why did she feel like she was being manipulated? He was being civilised unlike the last time she'd seen him and yet she felt like his casualness was just a veneer, hiding a latent anger that he was holding in check.

Troy watched her walk to the window and breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't believe that he'd been able to orchestrate the manoeuvre so easily; she was actually here, in person, within his suite. His heart was still beating erratically, his muscles still tense even though she seemed to accept the situation. Her attitude thus far had fuelled his anger but he'd quelled it, her evasiveness annoyingly aggravating but he was determined he wasn't going to allow her to leave without knowing where she could be found. He let his gaze peruse her profile, even as he noted her body had filled and matured, her hips wider, her breasts fuller, her features hadn't changed, they still held the natural beauty that time could not erase, admittedly there were hollows under her eyes and he wondered what had caused them; hopefully not him?

"How are you?" Gabriella threw him a puzzled look. "After your fainting spell, have you recovered?" His voice was full of concern as he asked the question.

"Yes thank you. I guess it was the shock of seeing you in my place of work," her voice was cool and polite as she replied and it annoyed him, placing him firmly in the category of stranger.

"Good. I'm glad you had no lasting effects," he commented in the same tone.

He walked further into the room and she turned her head at the movement. He paused for a second trying to gauge her reaction, their eyes met, hers apprehensive, his questioning. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" He waved his arm towards the bottle resting in the ice bucket on the table. He didn't wait for a reply but strolled over to the table, turned the glasses up and filled them with the golden liquid. Gabriella took the glass from his outstretched hand, glad to have something to occupy her nervous appendage.

"Thank you. Where are we? I didn't realise they provided private dining rooms," she ventured to ask.

"They don't, this is my suite." he said shrugging casually, " Lets eat." he added ignoring the gasp she expelled. Gabriella chewed her bottom lip, the butterflies in her stomach feeling more like a plague of locust at his answer. She threw him a worried look only to find he had turned away to pick up the phone, his voice low as he gave his instructions.

"This is your suite?" she questioned, her heart pounding in her breast, when he'd replaced the receiver and turned back to her. Troy nodded. Gabriella put her glass on the table and began walking to the door. "I'm not staying here, I'll call to arrange another meeting, somewhere more public." Troy moved fast, grabbing her arm to halt her departure.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so. We needed somewhere private and as you wouldn't let me come to you, I had to make you come to me. Come on Gabriella, I'm only suggesting dinner, for god's sake," he coaxed in a reasonable tone. He felt the stiffness leave the arm he was holding and heard the sigh that spilled from her lips, her nod of assent wasn't necessary, he already knew he'd won this round. Gabriella turned looking suspiciously at him as he led her back to the table, picked up her glass and put it into her hand. She took it then perched on the edge of a Gainsborough chair, ready for flight. Troy stayed standing, unable to relax, his eyes fixated on his beautiful estranged wife.

A knock at the door broke the uncomfortable silence that filled the room and Troy went to answer it with alacrity. A waiter pushed a trolley into the room with dishes covered by silver domes on the top shelf and began placing two of the plates onto the dining table. Troy tipped him when he'd finished, escorting him from the room leaving the trolley near the table still laden with the next course. He returned, holding a hand out to Gabriella who stood up, nervously running her hands down her skirt before picking up her glass and carrying it to the table. Troy held her chair out, waiting until she removed her suede jacket and was seated before sitting himself. Conversation was lacking while they sampled the Dungeness crab cake with roasted corn and citrus segments and Troy's nerves were stretched by the time they had finished. He collected Gabriella's half eaten plate and his empty one, replacing them with steaming bowls of Penne Pasta with the Four Season's special roasted tomato sauce.

"I wasn't sure what to order but I remembered you used to like pasta so I played safe," he informed her. Gabriella couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness even though there was a knot the size of a baseball in her stomach.

"I still do," she confirmed as she picked up her fork. "Why are you living in a hotel?" Curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't stop the question spilling from her lips. Troy smiled wryly.

"I only moved to LA three weeks ago so I'm still looking for a house that I can feel comfortable in," he replied. "I'm driving my realtor nuts though. She keeps trying to sell me hideous monstrosities that she thinks I'd like but which would seriously only appeal to the Munsters or she goes to the other extreme with something too glaringly plastic that I'd feel like a specimen in a science lab." Gabriella giggled at the look of disgust on his face and Troy paused to stare at the transformation, her giggle something he thought he'd never hear again.

"Haven't you given her any guide lines?" Gabriella was relaxing enough to ask.

"Uhm, not really, I just told her to find a home but I don't think she knows what one of those is."

"I'm not surprised," she responded dryly. Troy cocked an eyebrow at her enquiringly. "You find a house then make it into a home. You're not helping her very much, are you? I mean you need to give her some specifics, Troy, the poor woman needs to know what you're requirements are."

"I guess," he shrugged, "except I don't know them myself. Until I see it, I don't know what I'm looking for." They continued to discuss the variables of real estate, grasping the safe topic like a life raft while they ate their meal, finishing with the hotel's speciality cheesecake.

"So...uhm, what made you come to LA?" Gabriella asked awkwardly. Troy sent her a startled glance, unable to comprehend that she hadn't seen the news, his face had been splashed across all the tabloids and the news channels.

"I play basketball for the Lakers, or I will do from tomorrow." Gabriella shocked gasp was genuine, she truly hadn't known.

"Wow! Congratulations, Troy. I'm glad you got to live your dream." Her words were sincerely uttered, her accompanying smile showed how happy she was for him.

"I haven't, not all of it anyway," he said regretfully bringing a frown to her face, her mouth opened as if to question his comment. "You weren't with me, you didn't keep your promise, you haven't let me wake up next to you for seven years." Gabriella looked wide-eyed at him shocked at his bitter tone. "SEVEN FUCKING YEARS....WASTED!" he shouted, banging his fist on the table and making her jump. "Why? Why is that, Gabriella? Eh! Answer me that? Why did you bail on me? What did I do wrong?" The quietness of his voice after his shout did not detract from his anger if anything it frightened her even more.

"Er...You didn't do anything wrong, Troy," she replied softly trying to soothe the sleeping tiger.

"Oh no? Well pardon me for getting the wrong impression," he said bitingly. "I left you for an hour tops, it would have been sooner but I got waylaid by one of the guys only to come back to an empty room and by empty I mean devoid of any sign that you had ever been there. If it hadn't been for the state of the bed and the small matter of a piece of paper stating we were married, I'd have thought I'd been dreaming for those last two days; except I had memories of our hot torrid liaison to haunt me into eternity. Do you know I searched the entire hotel looking for you? But I guess you didn't care, thought it was all a bit of fun, an experience to laugh at with your friends but not for me. DO YOU REALISE YOU NEARLY DESTROYED ME?" She jumped at his shout, the chair crashed to the floor behind her as she leapt to her feet, tears unbidden streamed down her face at the pain behind his words, reminding her of her own pain when he didn't call, when she yearned to hear his voice, feel his strength, need him with her, to hold her, comfort her. Troy moved fast, grabbing her before she could flee, the pain and anger coming to the fore as he shook her mercilessly. Gabriella was stunned by his suppressed violence for a shocked minute before she wrenched an arm free to slap him hard across the face. The force of it made his head swerve to the right, the harsh sound reverberated against the suddenly silent room.

"YOU BASTARD! Do you think it's only you that suffered? Do you see me laughing? I haven't told anyone about us, not a single living person, not even Sharpay and she was fucking there. Blame me all you want but I had an emergency. I had to go, I was needed elsewhere but I left my phone number for you, so you could get in touch but you never called. You never fucking called," she finished on a sob, sinking to the floor.

"You're lying. I never got your message. Where did you leave it? In steam on the bathroom mirror?" His sarcasm cut to the bone. Troy looked at the huddled heap on the floor, her ebony hair falling in disarray around shoulders that shuddered as racking sobs filled the room. He wanted to gather her close and comfort her but his own pain was too raw, he didn't trust himself not to physically hurt her again so he kept his hands clenched in fists at his side. He was ashamed of his actions, disgusted that he had let rip at the one person who held his heart in her hands, the guilt gnawing at him and yet he spoke the truth as he saw it. There hadn't been a note, if there was, nothing would have stopped him from calling then following her, blowing his finals and probably the chances that had come his way since.

Gabriella couldn't stem the flow of tears and yet his words had infiltrated the blinding pain that enveloped her, the words pounding in her ears "_You're lying....you're lying" _The injustice of his accusation fed her anger, dulling the desolation she felt as her sobs quietened and a blinding fury took over. She slowly stood up, turned and faced him, her eyes flashing malevolently, sending out a clear warning.

"I don't lie," she ground out quietly through gritted teeth, fighting to stop from screaming the words at him. "I didn't have anything to write on apart from an old receipt so I wrote it on there and left it on the dressing table. It was only my cell number but I didn't have time nor the space to write anything else." Troy looked wordlessly at her, his mind not even in the present but back in the hotel room in Vegas. He remembered walking back into the room with two steaming lattes, a bag of two Rise and Shine Muffins and two Pain au Chocolate pastries.....

_He struggled to open the door, nearly dropping the coffee he held between his arm and his body while he slid the key-card into the slot, silently cursing Chad from stalling him and delaying his return to his beautiful bride. He kicked the door open with some force and it banged against the wall then swung back nearly upending him, only his agile leap into the room avoiding the disaster. The quiet should have alerted him. He knew Gabriella could sleep but surely not through the racket he was making. He walked into the room his eyes drawn automatically to the bed only to find it empty, the mangled sheets half lying on the floor. He frowned, turning to put his purchases on the dressing table before going to the closed door of the adjoining bathroom. He rapped on the door._

"_Hey babe, I'm back, why did you get up? I wanted to surprise you with breakfast." There was no reply and he couldn't hear the sound of water running. "Gabi, are you okay?" Still no answer. He turned the handle, pushing the door slowly open. The room was empty. His keen glance noticed the counter top was bare apart from his deodorant and toothbrush where only last night it was filled with her make-up, perfume, toothbrush and body spray. He backed out of the room, a sense of foreboding filled his mind as he cast a glance around the room, noting the absence of clothes and cases. His legs gave way and he sank on the end of the bed, his head bowed in his hands as reality sank in. She'd gone._

_He couldn't say how long he sat there, numb to the core, shocked that she had just left him without a word. He glanced around the room looking for clues, hoping, praying she had left a note or something to say why she had gone. He finally stood up, picked up the bag from the table only to fling it into the waste bin at the side in temper. He stooped to collect a piece of paper from floor, saw it was a receipt and screwed it up in his fist before tossing that too into the bin...._

"Oh what's the point? Believe what you want to believe. It's over and done with anyway," she said in a defeated tone, turning she stooped to collect her purse, pulled her jacket off the back of the chair and flung it over her arm then walked to the door. A groan of anguish halted her progress and she looked over her shoulder to see Troy staring after her, trying valiantly to blink away the film of tears that filled his eyes.

"NO!" he bellowed taking a step toward her. "Don't go," he pleaded. "I've been a bloody fool, an absolute fuckwit. I threw the damn thing away and with it the only link to you. Can you believe it, I threw our future away."

_This ain't easy to admit  
And no one needs to know  
What goes on behind the door in my room  
I'm kicking through the walls in my mind  
And I can't stand without you  
And I won't find the answers when you're gone _


	7. Sympathy

**A Moment of Madness**

**Summary: **If only she had listened to her subconscious, if only she had said no from the outset and not been swept along by her friend's insistence that they needed a break before their finals; her solution – a weekend in the city that never sleeps amongst the glitz and glamour that was Vegas. It had indeed been a moment of madness when she accepted.

**Disclaimer: **High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. The song 'Sympathy' belongs to the fabulous Goo Goo Dolls and again I only have them on loan. Thanks for the inspiration, John.

**A/N: **Flashbacks are in italics. Many thanks to Mya for her help with this chapter. Love you girl.

* * *

"NO!" he bellowed taking a step toward her. "Don't go," he pleaded. "I've been a bloody fool, an absolute fuckwit. I threw the damn thing away and with it the only link to you. Can you believe it, I threw our future away."

**Sympathy**

The raw pain in his voice stopped Gabriella in her tracks. The look on his face mirrored her own.

"Please...stay. I want to understand why you left. I need to know why you had to rush away and leave me behind. Stay!" he coaxed. Gabriella stared at him for long minutes, trying to decide if he truly deserved an explanation after the Neanderthal way he'd behaved and yet didn't he have the right to know after all these years? Did she want to go back in time? It would be painful to rake over old coals. That period of her life was a time she fought to forget and on the whole she had succeeded; it was only at odd moments when she was at a low ebb that it pushed its way to the fore again. The memory even now so vivid, so excruciatingly agonizing. She'd made a new life now, such as it was. Did she really need to rehash that heart wrenching episode? She sighed deeply then nodded slightly and heard him expel a shuddering breath. She walked slowly back into the room, sinking into the sofa and dropping her purse and jacket onto the floor at the side.

Troy filled their glasses then carried them over to her, handing one to her before he sat on the other end of the sofa.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Silence reigned as she tried to marshal her thoughts that were chaotic at best. It had been a darkly bleak time in her life, one she hated to relive but knew she must. Maybe it would work as a catharsis, a purging of the emotional baggage she had carried around for so long that could finally be laid to rest to allow her to move forward with her life. She'd carried the guilt of leaving him without a word for too long. Now was as good a time as any to set the record straight and explain the circumstances to him. She didn't know what the future held. Maybe Troy just wanted closure too.

Troy took a sip of his wine, his eyes never leaving Gabriella's face, watching the play of emotions flitting across her features, noting her eyes darkening perceptibly as she looked inwardly. She looked forlorn, lost in a place he had no knowledge of, a place from which he was excluded. He almost told her it didn't matter, not wishing to put her through the anguish that was clearly visible, that it wouldn't change how he felt about her, that he still loved her despite all the bitterness he'd carried around all these years. Almost, but not quite. Deep inside he knew he needed to know, wanted to understand why, for the sake of half an hour, she could not wait for him. He put his glass down on the small side table and did the next best thing, he held her hand, trying to show her she was not alone, to offer comfort and his strength if she needed it. She didn't flinch when he touched her ice cold hand and he realised she was unaware of his action.

She was so lost in the past, she didn't feel Troy's hand reach over to hold hers but somewhere in her subconscious she must have registered the support he was transmitting to her by his very touch for it broke her silence and she started to speak.

_The click of the door closing bit into her delicious slumber. Letting out a yawn she pushed the fallen hair from her face, automatically rubbing her eyes as she sleepily glanced around the room. For the last two days she had barely seen more than these four walls, not that she regretted it, not for one second but she realised it would be their final day in Vegas and she felt sad at the thought. Tomorrow reality would rear its ugly head and bite them in the butt. They'd put off discussing the immediate future, too caught up in the many moments of whispered endearments, gentle caresses and the great sex that led on from that. _

_The sudden ringing of the house phone made her jump. She bit her lip and stared worriedly at it. Who would be calling the room? Maybe it was a miss-dial. She listened to the continued shrill noise waiting for whoever it was to realise their mistake and hang up. No such luck! Letting out a sigh and a glare at the offensive object she snatched up the receiver. _

"_**About fucking time! Jesus, I know you can sleep but hell, Gabi, it's like waking the dead."**_

"_Shar?"_

"_**Who else would it be? Anyway, I haven't time to chit chat and neither have you. You need to get your ass in gear, get dressed, pack up and bring our cases down to reception pronto."**__ Gabriella's eyebrows shot up to her hairline._

"_What? Why?" Gabriella could hear the panic in Sharpay's voice. "Oh hell, her dad's revoked her credit card." The thought swept away any lasting cobwebs and she slid her feet over the side of the bed and sat up on the mattress. _

"_**Maybe if you switched your cell on you'd know. Your mom is having a hissy fit and before you ask I don't know why, she just said it was urgent family business, anyway she couldn't get you so she rang me"**__ yelped Sharpay. "__**Why did you give her my number?**__" she demanded._

"_I didn't."_

"_**Well she's got it from someone. Oh my god! I bet she rang my mom." **_

"_So what if she did, it's no big deal."_

"_**Yeah it is. Neither her or dad know I'm in Vegas," **__groaned Sharpay. __**"I'm dead!"**_

"_But I thought they knew, Shar. I know I didn't tell mom or dad because they would have gone ballistic. I should be studying for the finals."_

"_**Why do you think I didn't tell the rents?" **__drawled Sharpay. __**"It was on a need to know basis and only you and I needed to know. Oh shit! I better pay the hotel bill before they stop the card. Just hurry up and get downstairs, will you." **__The phone went dead. Gabriella jumped up to visit the bathroom, sluicing her face and quickly brushing her teeth afterwards, multitasking as she went by throwing all her stuff into her wash bag. Rapidly flinging a set of clean clothes on before stuffing the few oddments lying around into her case. Sharpay's case was easy, she'd never been there after the first night to create the havoc she usually did. Then she paused. Why was she rushing around like a lunatic? What did her mother want? _

"_Oh hell, where's my cell?" She scrunched her face up trying to remember. She'd not used it since Friday night, turning it off so they wouldn't be disturbed and she hadn't given it a thought since. "Purse! Where the hell did I put it?" Muttering to herself she rummaged through Troy's clothes that lay on a chair, finding it buried at the bottom. She quickly switched it on and it burst into life. Fifteen missed calls, six text messages – all from her mother bar two and all within the last twelve hours. Oh hell! She was in deep shit! Taking a deep breath she opened the first one._

**Gabi, get home. Papa in hospital. Come quick.**

_The blood drained from her face and she felt herself sway, feeling sick and clammy all at once. She sat down heavily on the bed, trying to take it in. No! It couldn't be. Not Papa, he's so strong and fit. It couldn't possibly be right. And yet the stark message would not be a joke, not from her mother. She had to go. NOW!_

_She sprang from the bed, slung her purse over her shoulder, grabbed the handles on the cases and strode to the door only to pause. Christ! She'd forgotten about all about Troy. Her mind was in turmoil but she didn't have time to waste. She had to get home immediately. She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to her father and she wasn't there. He couldn't die, he just couldn't. He'd have to follow her. Yes, that was the only solution. She rifled through her purse, cursing at the lack of paper. Sharpay had made her empty her bag of all paper items making sure she was not tempted to study at any point during the whole weekend. Luckily she found a receipt from one of the bar rounds and a pen, quickly scrawling her cell number on the back then scanned the room rapidly looking for the most likely place for him to find it, settling on the dressing table. Depositing it on the hard wood surface she let herself out of the room and hurried to the elevator which fortunately came within a minute._

_Sharpay impatiently tapped her foot as she waited in front of the elevators for Gabriella to appear. Taking one look at her wan face, she snapped into efficiency mode, directing a bellboy to take care of the cases as she wrapped an arm comfortingly around Gabriella's shoulders. She could feel her friend shaking and although a million questions fought for space on the tip of her tongue she kept them firmly in check until they were driving down the Strip. _

_The car journey to San Diego was unbearably long and tedious. After a brief upsetting conversation with her mother it was discovered her father had suffered from a stroke but he was still alive, thank god. Sharpay tried a few times to talk to her, attempting to take Gabriella's mind off the situation but was met with a wall of silence at each turn. Her friend was in a world of her own and Sharpay knew she'd be blaming herself for not being there, it was just the type of girl Gabriella was. Even if she had been in the same room as him when it happened there wouldn't have been anything she could have done but there was no way she was accepting that regardless of what Sharpay said. Gabriella sat in the passenger seat, hunched into a ball of pain, tears silently streaming down her wan complexion and it tore at Sharpay's heart. She was at a loss. She didn't know what to do and try as she might she couldn't reach Gabriella to comfort her. All she could do was drive, and drive sensibly, keeping within the speed limit, ensuring she got her friend there safely. Getting pulled over by the cops would only delay the journey and bring Gabriella's wrath down on her._

_Sharpay spoke for the first time in over an hour as they entered the city limits, asking gently which hospital they'd taken him to and it had taken a while for Gabriella to even register the question._

"_USCD Medical Center. Mom said they have a specialist stroke unit," she whispered in a shakily gruff voice._

"_Well there you go, Gabs. He's in the best possible place. Have faith, he'll be fine," Sharpay said positively._

"_I hope so," murmured Gabriella turning to register the fact that they had arrived in San Diego. Familiar sights came and went as Sharpay followed the road signs, directing them to the hospital. Sharpay dropped Gabriella at the door, promising to find her as soon as she parked the car. Gabriella nodded, hitched her purse onto her shoulder and with stooped shoulders walked through the automatic doors looking as if she carried the weight of the world. Sharpay felt guilty leaving her at the door like that but she had picked up on Gabriella's impatience, feeling that her need to see her dad was paramount and how ever much Sharpay wanted Gabriella to lean on her, she knew she wouldn't want to hang about while Sharpay tried to find a parking space. After two circuits of the hospital grounds, Sharpay was glad she'd made that decision. Hospitals were the pits for parking!_

_Gabriella enquired at the reception desk for any details on her father's condition and although the nurse manning the station looked kindly at her she could only direct her to the stroke unit. The smell of hospitals always made Gabriella feel nauseous. Now it was even worse. Her heart was thumping as she followed the directions given. Corridor after long corridor of sterile cream walls seemed to stretch for ever and she was getting to the stage where she thought she'd been sent on a wild goose chase when she suddenly rounded a corner and saw a large sign over double doors announcing she'd arrived. _

_Taking a deep breath she pushed through the door, scared to enter, petrified at what she'd find on the other side. She wished Troy was with her to lend his support and not for the first time did she regret not waiting for him to return from wherever he'd gone that morning. She saw a nurses station with a couple of ladies in uniform sat behind, one tapping away on a computer, the other on the telephone. She paused at the desk, tapping her foot impatiently for one of them to become free._

"_I believe my father has been admitted, Julio Montez?" Her voice held a tremor as she spoke to the nurse who had come off the phone. The nurse smiled and nodded._

"_Yes, he's down this way," she replied coming around the desk to show her the way. "Are you Gabriella?" Gabriella nodded. "Your mom will be glad you're here. She's been frantic trying to get in touch." Gabriella winced, feeling guilt course through her once more._

"_How is he?" she asked in a whisper. The nurse looked sympathetically at her and gave a small smile._

"_He's as comfortable as can be expected," she replied non-committally. The answer didn't instil Gabriella with confidence. The nurse stopped outside a door and Gabriella could see her mom's back through the small window, her body hiding the majority of the bed from her view. With a hand shaking with nerves she touched the handle and opened the door, her eyes drawn reluctantly to the bed. She was scared and not prepared in the least for the sight that met her eyes. Tubes protruded from various areas of her father's body, snaking off in all directions attaching to machines, metal tripods and drips. It reminded her of a weird sci-fi film Sharpay made her watch called Flatliners._

_Maria Montez turned when she heard a gasp behind her and Gabriella ran into her arms crying. The shock of his collapse had taken it's toll on her mother; she'd aged at least ten years, her once smooth olive complexion was lined with worry and as pale as the walls in the room._

"_Mama, I got here as soon as I could. What happened?" she asked when she was able to find her voice._

"_I came home from a meeting last night and found him collapsed in his study. I don't know how long he'd been like that," she explained. "I shouldn't have gone but you know what work is like, pressure, pressure, pressure." _

"_Stop blaming yourself, Mama. It's not your fault," Gabriella insisted, knowing it would be useless saying as much. Gabriella took after her mother in that respect._

"_Maybe not but if I'd been there..." She choked up unable to carry on. Gabriella hugged her close. What else could she do? Guilt was something she understood only too well._

"_What have the doctors said?"_

"_Not a lot. They've carried out tests and diagnosed a stroke but they have to run more tests to define the level of damage," her mother replied despondently. "The doctor said he has to have a CT and MRI scan first thing in the morning. I'm scared Gabriella." She was too but she couldn't let her mother see that. She had to stay strong for her. She pulled another chair up to the bed and looked at her father properly for the first time. Her strong, vibrant father had shrunk, looking so lost and helpless against the white bedding. She bit her lip to stop from crying out at the injustice. His skin was ashen and the right side of his face looked distorted and shrunken, his cheekbones startlingly prominent, his hair appeared darker against the grey hue of his skin. This person wasn't her father but a stranger with his name._

"_Have you eaten anything today?" asked Gabriella with concern looking worriedly at her mother. She only shook her head helplessly. The door opened and Sharpay crept in on tip toe. Her questioning eyes looked to Gabriella for news but she could only shake her head wordlessly before turning back to her mother. "You really need to take a break, go and get some food, something to drink. Papa won't be happy that you aren't looking after yourself."_

"_Oh but..." _

"_No buts, I bet you haven't left this room since you got here," Gabriella interrupted firmly. "Sharpay will go with you, won't you? Make sure she eats something," she gave Sharpay the added instruction. Sharpay nodded, coming over and wrapping an arm around Maria's shoulder. Her mother looked longingly at the bed. "He'll be here when you get back," promised Gabriella. Sharpay murmured encouragement as she firmly steered Mrs Montez out of the room._

_Gabriella let out a sigh of relief, glad that her mother was seeing reason but also glad of a chance to be alone with her father. She moved to the other chair, nearest to the bed and reached out to hold his hand, hoping her touch would let him know she was there. His skin on the back of his hand felt as smooth as leather but paper thin._

"_Oh Papa." _

Silent tears slid down her face as she recounted the nightmare to Troy and his heart broke at the sight. He just wanted to hold her close to comfort her, protect her, to take away the pain in the retelling. He released her hand, stood up and went through a door into the bedroom returning minutes later with a handful of tissues that he passed to her before sitting down next her.

"Thank you," she said quietly. He smiled gently at her noting the redness around her eyes and the blotchy patches on her cheeks.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put you through this. I didn't realise."

"It's okay," she replied. "He was always so active, so full of life, so vital and to see him that way was a total shock."

"I can imagine. And you didn't only have him to worry about but your mom too. It must have been hard." Troy put his arm around her shoulder offering comfort as he hugged her to him. "So how is he now?" She started crying, leaning into his chest, wetting his shirt with her salty tears. Troy brushed his lips against her forehead.

_The next twenty four hours were the longest of Gabriella's life. She sat for hours just watching him, seeing his eyelids flicker and each time she'd hold her breath hoping he'd open his eyes and each time she'd be disappointed. Her mom finally dozed in one chair, Sharpay had insisted on remaining and she too was asleep in another, snoring softly. Gabriella was grateful for her presence, feeding from her strength. At seven am her father had been wheeled down for the CT and MRI scans and they'd taken the opportunity of going to the cafeteria for breakfast. All three looked dishevelled but at that time in the morning there weren't many people to notice._

_They wheeled him back into the hospital room hours later. Dr Wilson, the consultant, took them into his office to give them the news. It wasn't good. He had suffered from a haemorrhagic stroke in the left side of his brain and from the results of the tests it was a bad one. The brain had been starved of oxygen and from the scans it was clear that some of the brain cells had died. This was causing the paralysis to the right side of his body but they could not determine to what extent the damage was. He warned them that his speech would more than likely be impaired when and if he came out of the coma. Gabriella could tell that the coma was his major concern._

_He remained in a coma for a week with Gabriella and her mom keeping a vigil at his bedside. Gabriella had insisted Sharpay go back to LA stating there was no point in her suffering and failing her finals too. For herself, she couldn't even contemplate a future at this stage. All her focus was in this nondescript hospital room. It was as the doctor feared when he regained consciousness; his speech was slurred, the right side of his body was paralysed and he couldn't ingest food or liquid. To prevent any complications from Dysphagia, the medical term for the inability to swallow, a feeding tube was passed through his nose and straight into his stomach. Gabriella ached for him. He was such a proud man and to see him helpless like this was heartbreaking. This wasn't the father she'd known. She could feel his frustration when he tried to speak and she wanted to help but she didn't know how; all she could do was be here for him and for her mother._

_Mr Montez's sister and only remaining relative, Estrella came to the hospital the day after he regained consciousness. Gabriella had called her to inform her of the situation after berating her mom for not letting her know earlier. Brother and sister were not close. Aunt Estrella was a free spirit, she'd been a bit of a wild child and hippy in her youth and the family had more or less ostracised her, her mother included. And yet Gabriella had been named after her. Go figure! Gabriella and Estrella had remained close, after all Estrella was her godmother but her mother didn't like their closeness. As events turned out, she was glad she had called her. Her father had a massive stroke two days later and nothing could be done to revive him. Gabriella was devastated. Her mother was destroyed, leaning heavily on Estrella who remained stoic and practical, making the funeral arrangements after discussions with Maria. She had been a rock._

_The day of the funeral passed in a blur. All Gabriella could remember of it was grey, leaden skies. Fitting for a funeral really. Her mother had to be sedated straight after as she'd crumpled at the graveside, crying hysterically forcing Gabriella to be the strong one, deferring her own grieving until she had settled her mom in her bed. Without the support of Estrella and Sharpay she would not have got through the days, weeks and months that followed._

"I'm glad he died," whispered Gabriella against Troy's chest. "Does that sound horrible?"

"No. I can understand how you feel. He was a shell, his body destroyed by the stroke, he wasn't the man you knew and his quality of life had been taken from him. From what you've said he would have been incapacitated and miserable for the rest of his life," he reassured her softly.

"That's it exactly, Troy. He'd have hated it, hated relying on other people for his basic needs and my mother would have too although she'd never admit it." Gabriella was surprised by Troy's understanding. She knew she should pull away and yet she didn't want to leave the relative safety of his arms.

"You're very brave." She pulled back to look into his face, puzzlement in her teary eyes. "For saying what you just did. Not many would be so honest. Oh they may think it but they wouldn't have the guts to say it out loud." His words of sympathy warmed her heart and she gave him a wryly tremulous smile.

"You think? I don't. If I'd had guts I would have waited an extra half an hour for you to come back."

Troy stared down at her, taking in her watery eyes, red nose and wet cheeks, deciding instantly she'd never looked more beautiful. Unable to resist the magnetic pull that sprang up between them in that instant, he lowered his head and tasted her sweetness, a sweetness he never hoped to taste again.

"Why did you do that?"

"It's rather like breathing, I don't have any choice in the matter." He made her shiver, he made her melt like before. It was deja vu.

**_Stranger than your sympathy  
This is my apology  
I'm killing myself from the inside out  
And all my fears have pushed you out_ **

_**Oh yeah it's easy to forget yeah  
You choke on the regrets yeah  
Who the hell did I think I was?**_


End file.
